Awake
by keelhaulrose
Summary: As Hermione is left in the wake of the War, Sirius returns from the Veil. Can he help her discover her path now that she no longer has to stand by Harry?
1. Alive?

**A/N: So I'm combining three challenges from the HPFC forum: the House Quotes Challenge I put up but never started, the Random Quotes Challenge, and the 100 Quotes Challenge. Any quotes I wind up using are going to be in bold. I'm nuts for starting another story now, but I'll just have to write more often.**

Cold.

That's all he could feel for the first few minutes. Then he realized that he was lying on the ground, the weight of his body pressing against the cold stone floor. Slowly he started feeling pain. What was going on? The last thing he remembered was...

The battle! He fought to open his eyes, and when he was finally able to all he could see was blackness surrounding him. In more effort than he had ever had to exert in his life he placed his hand in front of his chest and pushed himself into a kneeling position.

Voices were sounding behind him, and with great pain he turned his head around. The old, tattered veil stood behind him, and voices were sounding from it, but he couldn't make anything out. Struggling, he stood up and looked around. Not only was the battle not waging as he remembered, but there were no signs that any battle had been fought here recently.

He slowly stood up and it slowly made his way out of the Department of Mysteries. As he traveled through the corridors he didn't see anyone. But to be safe he took his Animagus form. He stumbled to the elevators, pressed a paw to the button, and waited for one to come down. It took a few minutes for one to appear, and as it did he jumped to the shadows as two wizards rushed out, talking excitedly.

He hurried on as the grille slid shut and pressed the lobby button. The elevator moved quickly and soon the grille was sliding open again. The sight that greeted him was amazing.

"It's over!" a witch was crying in front of him as several more witches and wizards looked as though they were celebrating behind her. He slid out of the elevator and rushed along the wall towards the fireplaces out. Along the way he caught snippets of the joyous witches and wizards excited celebrations.

"He's dead..."

"...Hogwarts..."

"...most of the Death Eaters, too..."

"...Harry Potter..."

Harry. Where was he? Who was dead? He needed to find out what was going on. He had gone to the Ministry to save Harry. Had something happened to Harry? He had to get to Grimmauld Place. Maybe there were Order members that could explain everything to him.

To Floo he would have to change back to his human form. That could be dangerous, but he would have to risk it. People were pouring in from the other entrances, but they seemed to be avoiding the fireplaces. As there was a break in the stream of people he quickly transformed, grabbed a handful of powder, and stepped in without being noticed.

He arrived back at Grimmauld Place and was shocked by what he saw. The kitchen was in disarray, a layer of dust covered everything. As he hurried through the house, calling for Harry, he noticed that it looked as though people had torn the place apart, looking for something. The wards must have fallen. The Death Eaters must have been here, but a quick spell with his wand revealed that there was no one else there at the moment.

He couldn't control the sudden wave of tiredness that washed over him. He went into the library and cleared the couch of books that had been carelessly thrown onto the couch. He collapsed onto the faded black fabric and was out within moments. He wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping when he was woken up by a female scream.

___

Hermione was exhausted. She had spent the hours following the final battle explaining several times what she and Harry had been doing, even though all she wanted to do was to go into a quiet room and cry. Too many times she had looked into the face of another mother crying over the body of their child, a face that looked too worn to be jubilant over the fact that Voldemort was dead, a Death Eater survivor screaming as they were being dragged off to Azkaban to await a trial that would more than likely earn them a Kiss.

Thinking of kisses, it had been hours since she and Ron had kissed. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. They were in the midst of a battle that neither one was sure they were going to survive. They had liked each other off and on for years, and it was sort of the culmination of that attraction, but now she was confused. Their future had seemed so short-sighted before, like they would only make it until Voldemort was dead or they were. Now their future was open for them to do anything they wanted.

And yet she didn't want to do anything. Ron was with his family, mourning his brother, not wanting interaction at the moment, and she was more than happy to avoid him right now. She needed some time alone-to sleep, to think, and to make some important decisions about her future. The only thing she knew she needed to do in the upcoming weeks was go to Australia and release her parents. Maybe she'd go and have a bit of a holiday herself.

Once most of the bodies had been moved, and most of the people had gone to mourn or reflect in private she finally felt as if she could leave Hogwarts. Maybe for good.

"Professor," she finally found McGonagall in the Great Hall, carefully preparing Snape's body, which Harry had insisted be retrieved quickly and with full honors. Even though Hermione had seen him die it was still a shock to see him lying there.

"Hermione," Minerva replied with a tired smile, covering Snape carefully.

"I need to get out of here," Hermione murmured, trying not to cry.

McGonagall nodded and motioned towards the door. "How are you holding up?" she asked quietly as they made their way towards the Headmaster's office.

"I just need to rest," Hermione replied softly.

McGonagall nodded. "I think that would be best for everyone."

"Where is Harry?"

"Off with Kingsley and some more Ministry officials, retelling his story to the Aurors and helping make plans for funerals and trials and such."

"Oh," Hermione looked at the ground. Going anywhere without Harry seemed almost wrong at the moment, but she had no energy to deal with a bunch of people who had, less than a day ago, advocated for the imprisonment of all the Mudbloods.

"Where do you want to go?"

Hermione thought for a long moment. She didn't want to disturb the Weasleys, so the Burrow was out. Most of the other places would be filled with witches and wizards celebrating Voldemort's death, and they would probably want her to recall her tale yet again. She had no energy to go to her parents house and deal with the emotions that seeing the once vibrant house lay empty would no doubt stir up. "Grimmauld Place," she whispered.

"Grimmauld Place?"

"It should be empty, I'll put up some wards and I can be safe there for a while."

"I'm not so sure it'll be empty. Maybe I should go with you just to make sure."

"You don't have to, Professor. I can take care of myself."

"All the same, I'd feel better if I went with, at least until I'm sure you're safe."

Hermione, too tried to argue, just nodded, and they Flooed to Grimmauld Place. They stumbled out of the fireplace, and the moment they did McGonagall pushed Hermione behind her.

"Stay quiet!" she hissed, drawing her wand and pointing to the ground. A fresh set of footprints cut through the dust on the floor.

Hermione drew her wand as well. "_Homenum Revelio_," she whispered. The wand glowed and pointed towards the library.

"We should go and let the Aurors take care of it," McGonagall said, pushing Hermione back towards the fireplace.

"No," she responded firmly. "Harry would want to know who is in his house and why."

Minerva nodded and they started to follow the tracks in the dust towards the library. Outside the door there were tracks that lead in, then out, then returned. McGonagall and Hermione looked at each other, nodded, and pushed the door open. McGonagall went first, and almost immediately she gasped loudly and clutched her chest.

Hermione looked around Professor until she saw what was up. A figure was sleeping on the couch, McGonagall's wand pointed directly at it. It took Hermione a few seconds to look over the figure before...

"Sirius!" she screamed and fell to the floor.

___

She was lying on a bed, and someone's hand was running casually through her hair.

"Hermione?" a voice called gently.

"Sirius?" she murmured, opening her eyes. She recognized the room as the one she and Ginny had spent so much time in several summers ago. "You're dead. How can you be here?"

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know what happened. I woke up on the floor in front of the Veil yesterday."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"About fourteen hours," he smiled, running his fingers through her hair reassuringly again.

"Where's Harry?" she asked, looking around.

"Upstairs. When he heard I was back and you had fainted he rushed over. We spent about six hours talking, and now he's sleeping."

"I fainted?"

"When you saw me sleeping on the couch. You woke me up, and it was all Minerva could do to keep from fainting herself."

"What did she tell you?"

"Enough to know that you and Harry need as much rest as you can get right now."

"Actually, what I need right now is food. I'm so hungry. I haven't eaten anything decent in a long while."

Sirius smiled. "Come downstairs when you feel up to it. I'll see what I can whip up for you," he said before he walked out of the room. Slowly Hermione sat up. Her stomach growled, but she felt like taking a shower. She found some clothes that Ginny had left behind and headed towards the bathroom. She took a long, hot shower, feeling the grime of the fight being swept from her body. She stayed in until her skin couldn't take the scalding water any more. She dressed in the clothes, which were a little tight and a couple inches too short. No matter how many times she tried to pull the t-shirt over her bare stomach it wouldn't stay. Smelling eggs and bacon she abandoned her modesty and hurried back to the kitchen.

"Smells delicious," she said as she entered.

"Thank you," Sirius replied as he turned to place a heaping plate of food at the table for her. He paused as he caught sight of her, and she blushed as she noticed him checking her out briefly.

"How are you feeling, Sirius?" Hermione asked before taking a large bite of eggs.

"I'm alive, which is apparently more than you guys thought for the past couple years."

"I'm... sorry," Hermione said, looking at her plate.

"Don't worry about it. Minerva said you guys saw me fall through the Veil. I don't fault you for thinking I was dead."

"What happened when you came out of the Veil?"

"At first it was pain. Like I had gotten the shit kicked out of me. Then it was just confusion. Last thing I remembered was an all-out battle, so I was expecting it to still be going on when I woke up. Like I had come back from being Stunned or something. But I looked around and I was all alone. I walked through the Ministry, and everyone was celebrating, I didn't know it was because Voldemort was dead. I came back here because the last I knew it was Headquarters. I came here, saw no one had been around in a while, and felt the need to sack out for a while. And the next thing I knew you were waking me up screaming."

"Sorry," Hermione said, blushing.

"Again with the apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry for, Hermione. From what I hear, you've done wonderfully the past couple years."

Hermione looked down at her plate to avoid Sirius seeing the now deep-red flush across her face.

"I'd ask what you've been up to, but Harry seemed to not want to talk about it for a while, and I don't want to press the issue."

"Thank you," Hermione murmured. "It feels weird not having anything to do."

**"Life is nothing without a little chaos to make it interesting," **Sirius smiled at her.

"Are you kidding? I don't know how much more chaos I can handle," Hermione rolled her eyes as Sirius chuckled.

**Please leave a review, like it or not!**


	2. One isn't always lonely

**A/N: I forgot this in Chap 1, so here it is; I don't own anything from HP, you have JK Rowling to thank for all the characters.**

**Again, the quote I used is in bold.**

Silently the three collapsed on separate couches in the library of Grimmauld Place. There was no time to be jubilant, no time to relish in their accomplishments. They had just attended their final funeral, for Lupin and Tonks. They had agreed to put of the talk until they had buried the last of their friends. At first they thought they would wait a day, spend some time alone, but in the end they agreed that directly after the last funeral they would have the talk.

Hermione looked from Ron to Harry. All of them were looking much older than their years. Exhaustion and depression read on each of their faces. She had been on the verge of tears ever since she heard young Teddy babbling next to his parent's graves, not understanding they would no longer be in his life. Harry exchanged a glance, but quickly returned his gaze to the fire. None of them wanted to speak first. There was so much to say, but no desire to say any of it.

After sitting in silence for fifteen minutes Hermione decided to start the conversation. "What now?" she asked quietly. The question didn't really need asking. The whole point of the talk was to provide the answer.

Harry looked grateful that someone else spoke first. "I need to get away," he murmured.

Hermione nodded. "Where?"

"Sirius told me where he was hiding. I'm going to go there. Just by myself for a while."

Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement. They, especially Harry and Hermione, had spent more time with each other than was possibly healthy in the past few months. The only thing they would probably agree on all night was that they needed to be away from each other for at least a week or two.

"I'm going back to the Burrow," Ron threw in. "Get spoiled by my Mum for a while," he added with a faint attempt at a smile.

"Australia," Hermione said quietly. "To get my parents."

Harry glanced at her with a grim smile. "This isn't it, right?" he asked after a few moments silence.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we understand we all need some time apart, but we'll still be mates after this, right?"

Hermione placed a reassuring hand on his. "Harry, since I've met you I've been through a lot with you. I've stood by you through everything. While I admit I need to spend some time away from... you, Ron, everything, I would hope we never stop being friends."

Ron nodded in agreement. "Everything she said, mate."

Harry checked his watch. "I've got to catch my flight in a couple hours."

"Planned quickly, didn't you?"

Harry smiled. "I wanted to beat the Prophet and whoever else wants our interviews. They seemed to listen to our requests to wait until after the funerals, but the vultures are circling. I want to get away before they come knocking."

Hermione smiled, somewhat sorry she didn't think of getting out immediately herself.

"I just wanted to say thanks," Harry said, looking at the floor. "I really couldn't have done any of it without you."

"Wasn't much of a choice, mate," Ron said, holding up his hand when Harry opened his mouth to protest. "It wasn't. We've been there for you since we were puny little First Years, we'd be there to the end."

Harry smiled.

"How about," Hermione started apprehensively, "we meet back here in a month? If we want to see each other before then, that's okay, but if we want to be alone we can until then."

Harry and Ron nodded.

"Don't be mad if I don't answer any owls?" Hermione asked, looking from Harry to Ron.

"As long as you're not mad if I don't answer any, either," Harry smiled back. He stood and hugged his friends. They said their goodbye's and Harry left, leaving Ron and Hermione looking awkwardly at each other. Ron stood, walked over to the couch Hermione was sitting on, and sat next to her. He leaned forward and gave Hermione an awkward kiss.

"Is it supposed to feel...?" Hermione started.

"It feels kind of weird, doesn't it?" Ron said, his cheeks flushing pink.

Hermione bit her lip and looked at him.

"I don't get it. I liked you. I wanted you so bad for so long, and now that we can be together and not worry about Voldemort or school or anything like that... It's not that I don't like you, it's just that I'm not having the same feelings for you as I did."

"This hunt brought out the best in us, but we also saw the worst. There were points where I'm surprised we didn't just give up and go into hiding permanently or hex each other or something."

"Well, you did have that moment right after I came back," he smiled slightly.

Hermione blushed lightly.

"I've done some thinking in the past couple days, and I realized, when that thing came out of the Horcrux, that I didn't trust you and I didn't trust Harry the way that you deserve to be trusted. I knew neither of you would do anything to hurt me, but it just brought that whole thing to the front of my mind. And if I can't trust you, how can I be with you?"

Hermione shrugged and placed a hand on Ron's. "I love you, Ron, but I'm not sure if we're ready to be making any sort of commitment to each other. We've been forced to be around each other more than we wanted, forced to deal with more of our emotions than we should have. Things are going to change. Are we prepared to be in a relationship while all this stuff is going on?"

"I guess not," Ron replied, studying her face.

"Besides, now that you're some big shot you'll have all sorts of witches hanging all over you. You'll have your pick."

Ron gave a half smile. "Lets just agree to see where things go, right?"

"Sounds like a plan," Hermione nodded.

"Hey, I thought we were trying to avoid those."

She smiled at him, realizing how little her face had shown her happiness recently.

"See you in a month, 'Mione?" Ron said, standing and holding his arms out.

"Of course," Hermione replied, hugging him. They smiled at each other, and Ron headed for the fireplace. The flames burned green, and Hermione was left standing alone in the library of Grimmauld Place.

She sat on the couch and put her head in her hands, staring at the dancing flames. As much as she and Ron had wanted to be together, they had just agreed to be apart. Everything seemed so backwards. Maybe it would have been better if she was never a witch. Her life certainly would be a lot different if she had never set foot in Hogwarts.

"I saw Harry leaving," a voice sounded behind her. Sirius entered the room and placed a tea tray in front of her. "Is everything OK?"

"Yeah," Hermione replied, no energy to elaborate.

"Oh," Sirius replied, handing her a cup of tea. His mood had visibly darkened since Harry announced he was leaving and didn't want any company for a while. He sat across from her and started stirring his own cup of tea.

"I'm sorry we haven't been as enthusiastic about your return as we should have been," Hermione said.

"There's not much to be enthusiastic about, is there?" he replied. Lupin's death had hit him hard, and even more so because he had sat next to Andromeda and Teddy at the funeral, representing what was left of another family torn apart.

"It'll get better," Hermione said, reassuringly.

"Yeah, sure," Sirius muttered bitterly.

"Listen, Sirius, maybe you should get out for a while as well. You spent so long hiding out here before you fell through the Veil, you need to get out."

Sirius sighed.

Hermione thought for a moment. Reluctantly she asked, "Would you like to come to Australia with me?"

He looked at her. "I thought you wanted to be alone."

"Yeah, I do, but I figured we could get separate rooms or something, maybe do a couple meals together but we'd both be away from here on some sort of vacation."

"If you're OK with it, I think it would be nice to get away from this stuff. Rita Skeeter..."

"Ugh," Hermione blanched, not wanting to hear the name of any press member.

"OK, OK," Sirius chuckled slightly. "The bug is buzzing around me, wanting to hear details about everything, even though I told her to bugger off and that I didn't know what happened."

"I'm still trying to figure that out. Do you know exactly what time you woke up?"

"Well, that giant grandfather clock right in front of the Veil is a little off..."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I really don't know. All I know was by the time I made it to the lobby everyone was celebrating because Voldemort was dead."

Hermione's eyes slid out of focus as she was thinking.

"Seriously, Hermione, turn it off for a bit. You don't need the answer to everything."

"I know, but if you could come back from the Veil can anyone come back?"

Sirius stayed silent. Any response would only start Hermione thinking, and he didn't want to be the one to cause her any more stress. "When do you want to leave for Australia?"

"As soon as possible," Hermione replied, coming back to the conversation. "I was thinking I'd go see a travel agent tomorrow morning."

"Let me take care of it," Sirius said. "I know a Muggle travel agent, she'll take care of us."

"You really don't need to..."

"I want to, Hermione. You've gone through enough recently."

"Thank you," Hermione said, nodding slightly. "We can go to the bank in the morning, and I'll get my portion..."

"Not a knut, Hermione. Harry gave me everything back, save for what he wanted for his trip. If Ron wanted to get away somewhere I would have offered to pay for his, too. This whole thing is on me."

"You don't..."

"Must you really make this difficult?" he cut her off, crossing his arms.

"Yes, yes I do."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're extremely stubborn? You should really cut it out and relax."

She raised an eyebrow. "**I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are**."

"Well, we can either butt heads all night, or you could just let me pay and be happy about it."

She sighed. "Thank you, Sirius."

"Ah, appreciation. Hurt yourself?"

She threw a pillow at him, smiling widely for the first time in days.

**Reviews, please?**


	3. Got to get away

**A/N: I threw three House quotes in this one. Hope you like it.**

Insistent rapping on the door brought Sirius up from the kitchen the next morning. He looked out the peephole, and saw Charlie Weasley looking back at him. He quickly opened the door and gestured for him to enter.

"Enough people came in without asking before, you don't need to knock," he told the redhead with a smile and a handshake.

"Wars over. I thought that the formalities should come back into play."

Sirius nodded. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Ron told me Hermione might be here. I needed a quick word before I head back to Romania."

"She's just coming down for breakfast," Sirius nodded, leading him down to the kitchen. When they entered Hermione was sitting down, reaching for the cereal.

"Good morning, Charlie," she smiled faintly as she stood to give him a quick hug.

"Morning, 'Mione. I was heading back to Romania, and I thought I should tell you about your parents."

"Charlie has been acting as 'Charlie Wilkins', my Dad's brother, so he knows where in Australia they went. I thought it would be safest if I didn't know. He has been communicating with them once a month or so, to make sure they were okay. If he couldn't get in touch with them I could know if something went wrong," Hermione explained.

"I talked to your dad the night before the battle. They're both doing well."

"That's good," Hermione said sadly.

Charlie slid an envelope across the table. "That's the address of the house they bought in Queensland. Your mum says she's making some good friends, and they're both working at the same dental office. They seemed very happy, Hermione."

"Oh," she looked at the table glumly.

"We're going to be heading to Australia in a day or two," Sirius said to Charlie as he went to wrap an arm around Hermione. "We'll find your mum and dad as soon as you want to, Hermione."

"But they seem happy," she muttered.

Sirius hugged her reassuringly. "They'll be much happier knowing their daughter, and knowing she is happy and safe. You promised them you'd go get them, right?"

She nodded.

"At the risk of sounding like your parent, you wouldn't break a promise to your mother, would you?"

She shook her head. "We'll go get them. I just need some time off before I have to explain everything I've been doing to them."

"That's totally understandable," he muttered, rubbing her back encouragingly.

"I've got to get going," Charlie announced. "Sirius, could you come with me?"

Sirius looked confused but left Hermione to follow him. Charlie walked up to the front hall before he turned to talk to Sirius.

"This needs to stay away from my Mum," he said, "because she'll kill my dad if she finds out he's been hiding this, but I brought your bike back." He extended the keys towards Sirius.

A broad smile crossed Sirius' face as he took the keys. He and Charlie said their quick good-byes and Charlie Apparated away. Before the crack from the Apparation had finished echoing he threw open the front door and saw his beloved bike sitting in the front lawn. He rushed over to it, and lovingly ran a hand over it. Arthur had done his best to fix it, but there were signs that the bike had been through a lot. Oh, well. He had nothing but time now. He could fix it himself, give it the love and attention it deserved.

He cast a few protective spells over the bike. No Muggles could see Number Twelve, but he had no idea how many Wizards now knew the secret. It couldn't hurt to protect it. He headed back inside and bounded down the stairs. Hermione was bent over her cereal, looking utterly depressed. He wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to go, take the young witch in his arms, and hold her until she knew that he'd do whatever he could to make her the happy woman he once knew. But he was worried about overstepping the boundaries. He had been touching her a lot recently, and he was afraid that she would think he was wanting more than what he was.

He walked in silently and slid into place across from her.

"What did Charlie want to see you about?" she asked, fake interest in her voice.

"He brought my bike back. Arthur had been keeping it, he was just returning it for me."

"That's nice," she smiled sadly before returning to her cereal.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Hermione?"

"Oh, Sirius. I know I'm being a horriblehouse guest. It's just been so much recently."

"Say no more. I'm headed to the travel agent right now. Is there anything else you need before I go?"

She shook her head weakly.

A sudden urge to go wrap his arms around her, twist his fingers in her hair, to breathe her in washed over him, but he shook off the urge. This was Hermione Granger, his feelings were only because he hated to see such a good friend, such a good person, hurting. They must be.

He walked out of Grimmauld Place and started walking towards the travel agent. It was a good two mile walk, and he was happy to get out and walk around. No Padfoot here, just Sirius. The day was warm, Muggle girls were walking around in shorts and skirts that barely left anything to the imagination. He had fun looking, but the desire was gone. He could have his fill of easy women if he wanted to, could have a different one each night if he desired, but something was different. He had faced death many times before, and nothing had changed, but he was a different man coming out of the Veil. **Almost dying changes nothing. Dying changes everything**, and he had, in a way, died.

A tiny bell above the door tinkled as he walked into the office. A woman, not much older than himself, looked up from her computer. A wide smile came across her face.

"Sirius Black?" she asked in disbelief. "Last I heard you were innocent and dead."

He shook his head in shock slightly. He had no idea that they had published anything about his death, nor his innocence, in the Muggle papers. "Well obviously the news must have it wrong, as I'm standing right here in front of you, love."

"That you are. Though I doubt you'd come see an old woman like me after, how long has it been?"

"Twenty years, but who's counting?" he smiled charmingly at her.

"Awful shock seeing your face on the telly a few years back, saying you had escaped from prison and were 'armed and dangerous' as they say."

"Yes, well," his face fell. "I'm here about a little getaway."

"Oh, lovely!" she said, returning to her computer. "Where would you like to go? I have some great deals on trips to America..."

"Australia."

"Really?"

"Yes. I've always wanted to go, and I figured now is the best time."

"Alright then. Where to in Australia?"

"Queensland. I've heard good things."

"As have I. When were you wanting to leave?"

"As soon as possible."

"All right. What kind of accommodations were you looking for?"

"Five-star. I want the best. Either two rooms or a two bedroom suite, preferably the latter. I've been in shit-holes for far too long, I need to be sitting in luxury for a while."

"Taking a family...?"

"A very good female friend."

Her smile faltered while typing on her computer. "I found a two-bedroom rooftop suite with a private hot tub, is that kind of what you were looking for?"

"Perfect."

"And how long were you wanting to stay?"

"I'm thinking three weeks."

"Three weeks is going to cost you quite a pretty penny, Mr. Black. Your lady friend must be very special."

"Let's just say she makes me feel alive again."

_____

Hermione had lunch ready when Sirius got home. She laid the modest sandwiches and soup in front of him, and he smiled warmly as if the lackluster lunch was a gourmet meal.

"How was the travel agent?" she asked, a glimmer of hope in her voice.

"We can check in at three PM tomorrow, their time."

A smile crossed her face, and for the first time in a while it lingered. "Are you sure you don't want me to pay my portion?"

"I'm sure," Sirius smiled back. He didn't want her to know how much he was spending at the hotel. She didn't need to worry about anything else, least of all money.

"Thank you again," she whispered.

"Just make sure you're packed," Sirius smiled. "And bring a bathing suit."

"Bathing suit? You do know it's winter in Australia, right?"

"I do. Just bring one."

"I'm not going to fight you on it," she shrugged.

"Good. That's just a good attitude to have in general when dealing with me," he smiled cockily.

She smiled at him, but retuned her attention to the stove quickly. She had no real reason to turn away, but there was something growing slightly in the pit of her stomach. Something she had felt before. But certainly not. This was Sirius Black. He was older than her. He was Harry's godfather. She was only having any ideas like that because she hadn't been able to for so long.

"How are we getting there?" she asked, moving the dishes to the sink.

"I told you not to worry about anything, so don't worry about it."

"See, that very statement makes me worry."

"What, Hermione?" he grinned, leaning back. "Do you think I'd hurt you?"

"No, I..."

"You can trust me."

"**Problem is, if I can't trust you, I can't trust your statement that I can trust you. But thanks anyway, you've been a big help**."

He raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk across his face. "Maybe spending a vacation with me wouldn't be the best thing for you. I can see I'm already rubbing off on you."

"**Arrogance has to be earned. Tell me what you've done to earn yours,**" she turned back to him, returning the playful smile.

"Touché," he responded, smiling. "Now go pack. We're leaving soon."

**Like it or not, please review.**


	4. Torn apart

**A/N: I've worked in my second quote from Professor Doctor's 100 quotes challenge. It's in bold. **

Later that night Hermione decided she wanted to go get some of her clothes from her parent's house. Sirius insisted he go with her, just in case, and she was in no mood to argue. They Apparated to her back yard.

The grass was overgrown beneath their feet, and Hermione immediately knew that someone had been there. A small pane of glass in the back door had been broken, and several pieces of lawn furniture had been knocked over. Sighing and bracing herself for the worst she led Sirius in through the back door.

"Oh!" she gasped, as she saw the disarray that the house was left in. She couldn't stop the tears from springing to her eyes, and she turned to be enveloped in Sirius' arms. He stood stoically, eyes studying the remnants of what looked to be a once-lovely house.

They stood in the kitchen, where every drawer had been ripped out and overturned, leaving everything in a jumbled heap on the floor. The pantry had also been opened, and cans of food were randomly strewn across the entire kitchen. They could see through to the family room, where the television had been knocked on the floor, the screen blasted away from the rest of the set as if something might have been hidden in the depths. Couch cushions had been ripped apart, books littered the room, their pages separated, blanketing the room.

"Nothings been taken," Hermione said as she and Sirius ventured further into the house.

"Death Eaters?" he asked.

"Most likely," she replied as they moved cautiously upstairs. All the doors had been ripped from their hinges, and several holes had been blasted giving access to the attic. "Looks like they thought my parents might be hiding somewhere in here."

"Thank Merlin you had the foresight to send them away," Sirius murmured.

Fresh tears sprung to her eyes as she thought of what might happen if she hadn't modified their memories and sent them to the other side of the world. Curses could be used just as easily on Muggles who had no idea of their existence. She stepped over the remnants of what looked to be her toy chest from when she was a child and entered her bedroom. Whoever had torn it apart had taken their time, leaving no stone unturned, looking for any hint as to where she might have gone. They had gone as far as to unfold her clothes and turn them inside out as if there might be something sewn to the inside.

Sighing she sat by the pile of clothes and started sorting through them. Sirius, unsure of what to say, wandered into the hallway and stared casting repairing charms and putting things back in place.

"Do you think we should clean the place up?" Hermione called after him.

"If you want, but I don't think you should worry about it too much. Once we get back we can clean it up properly."

She emerged, clutching the small beaded bag she had carried for so many months on the hunt for Horcruxes.

"Where's your stuff?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"In here," Hermione held up the bag.

Sirius snatched it from her and looked inside. "You're impressive, Hermione. You know that, right?"

"I can probably fit your stuff in here as well."

"And show up at the hotel without any luggage? Not the best of ideas if we're trying not to raise suspicions."

Hermione hit herself on the head. "Why didn't I think of that? I should go find a suitcase."

"Don't worry about it. If anyone asks I'll just say you weren't planning on wearing very many clothes during our stay," he smirked.

"Sirius!" she gasped, feeling her face go flush.

He shrugged and gave her a smile that made her feel weak in the knees momentarily. There was that feeling again. No, she had to ignore it. Some time away, to get lost in her thoughts and a good book would stop her thinking that way.

"We should probably get going," Sirius checked his watch. She nodded, and they Apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

"You never did tell me how we were getting there," Hermione said as Sirius gathered his suitcase.

He smiled and led her out the front door. He picked up a helmet that was sitting on his bike.

"You can't be serious," Hermione said, catching the helmet, mouth agape.

"That is my name, love," he smiled, securing his suitcase to the back of the bike.

"You honestly expect me to get on that thing?"

"You fight Death Eaters, stand up to Bellatrix LeStrange while she's torturing you, escape from Voldemort with mere seconds to spare, and you won't get on a bike with someone you know is a friend? You need to lighten up Hermione."

"I'm plenty 'lightened up', thank you."

"We're not leaving until you smile."

She let a big, fake smile cross her face.

"That doesn't count. I want to see a real smile. You're going on vacation. I'm going to make you smile. **What do you want me to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?"**

A real smile came over her as she laughed at the vision in her head. "Only if I can take pictures."

"Never leave evidence, love," he patted the seat behind him.

"You're not going to make this thing fly, are you?" she asked nervously as Sirius revved the engine.

"I haven't checked a globe in a while, but if memory serves me correctly there's an ocean or two between here and Australia."

"We're riding this thing all the way to Australia?" she cried. "That will take days!"

"Are you a witch or not?" he smiled at her before taking off down the street. Deciding that resistance was futile she threw her arms around in, her hands clamped tightly on his stomach. He had visibly gained weight since escaping Azkaban, but she hadn't realized how much of it was muscle. She could feel his abs tensing under her grip. The feeling started coming again, but she dismissed it as the motorbike's vibrations under her.

They zoomed through the city and were quickly crossing the rolling hills of the countryside. Hermione couldn't take the cool air against her face anymore and pressed herself to him, resting her head against his shoulder. He seemed to straighten up as she did so. Sirius opened the throttle and was obviously enjoying the ride he hadn't been able to take for so long. They rushed along, wind whipping their faces, until Sirius got his fill of speed. He pulled over to the side of the road, hiding between some trees.

"Ready?" he asked, pulling out his wand.

"For what?" she asked nervously.

"Trust me," he turned and smiled at her.

She nodded, then threw herself against him, bracing herself for whatever he was planning. He tapped his wand to the bike and murmured "_Portus_." The bike glowed blue and vibrated a little harder for a moment before returning to normal. "Ready?" he asked again.

She nodded tensely before gripping him as tight as she could. She was cemented to the bike, then the familiar feeling of something hooking her behind the navel and pulling her quickly through space. The journey was longer, her lungs were begging for air, Sirius' muscles were tense against her hands.

And suddenly they were thundering down a rural road. The sun shown down upon them and Sirius opened the throttle back up. They flew down the road before a large city sprung up before them. They made their way through the suburbs and into the heart of the city before Sirius turned his bike into the circular drive of a hotel and parked it under the awning.

"Is this where we're staying?" Hermione said in awe, looking around excitedly.

"Only the best for such a hero," Sirius murmured, disappearing inside to check in. Hermione stayed with the bike, looking around at the busy street. No one stopped to look at her, no one started shouting at the sight of her, no one came over to thank her. She relaxed, leaning against the bike, until Sirius returned.

"Ready to go up, love?" he asked, as a bellboy grabbed the suitcase and started back inside. A valet appeared and Sirius reluctantly handed over the key to his bike.

"I'm surprised you let anyone else touch it," Hermione said, watching the bike disappear around the corner.

"If they go anywhere besides the parking garage, I'll know," Sirius muttered. "The bike will die, and they'll find it difficult to sit for a week."

Hermione laughed.

"Well, we didn't come all this way to look at it, love," Sirius smiled, placing a hand around her waist and leading her inside. As they walked through the lobby an older couple passed them leaving. The woman looked from Sirius to Hermione, then shook her head.

"Did you see that?" Hermione smirked as the elevator doors slid shut on them.

"Some people don't like seeing young women on the arm of ugly old men like me," he replied.

"You're not ugly," she blushed as he smiled at her. "She probably thought you were some sort of rock star. You kind of look like it."

"No, I look like I escaped from prison," he retorted with a smirk.

Hermione smiled nervously next to them as the elevator stopped at the top floor. The bellhop stopped in front of a door and opened it wide for them. As they stepped inside Hermione gasped in amazement. They were standing in a large common room, with a dining table, a couch, a loveseat, and an entertainment center. To either side were bedrooms, each with a large bed and private baths. There were French doors leading to a private patio complete with...

"A hot tub?" she rushed to the window. "Sirius, this is too much."

"No, it isn't," Sirius replied, tipping the bellboy, who closed the door behind them. "You deserve the best, Hermione, and that's what I've gotten you."

"I didn't want you spending this much on me."

"First off, you have no idea how much I spent on you, second of all consider it my vacation, you're just along for the ride."

Hermione smiled at him. "Well, thank you again, Sirius."

He crossed the room to give her a quick hug. "It's really no problem. Would you like me to order you something to eat?"

"No," she replied, yawning. "I think I'm going to get some sleep."

"Whatever you want," he smiled at her. She nodded, then took the bedroom on the right. She closed the doors, changed into her pajamas, and was asleep nearly the moment her head hit the pillow.

**Please leave me a review no matter what you thought.**


	5. Lose yourself

**A/N: As always, quotes are in bold. I worked in two more House quotes in pretty rapid succession.**

Sirius woke up the next morning and found the common room empty. The door to the other bedroom was ajar, and he peeked in. Hermione was draped across the bed, still fast asleep. Part of him wanted to wake her up, ask her if she'd join him for breakfast, but he decided against it. As much as he wanted the company, he knew Hermione needed her sleep. She, Ron, and Harry had all been sleeping more recently, but it was probably because they didn't get much of it over the past few months.

He wandered out of the room and sat out on the veranda with a book. He sat on a lounger and opened it to the first page, but couldn't bring himself to reading it. He gazed out at the ocean, heard the traffic below, smelled the salt in the air. The sound of someone laughing carried up from far below, and he realized how foreign the sound was. The war was over. Why couldn't everyone be happy?

"Sirius?" Hermione's voice carried from the doorway.

"Yes, love?" he said, putting the book down and turning to face her. She was still wearing her pajama pants and a white tank top that, if the sun had been hitting it a little differently, would be see-through. His eyes wandered down her body. She was thinner than he remembered, probably from not eating very well on her hunt, but she was by no means unhealthy looking. Her body had become more curvy, her breasts had grown, her face was longer, her eyes had sunken, she looked different than before he went through the Veil. She was just sixteen then, but she could easily pass for twenty three now. But she was not unattractive. Quite the opposite. No, he couldn't have those thoughts, and with some effort he pushed them out of his head.

"I'm a little hungry. Did you want to get something to eat?"

"That sounds wonderful. Want to order some breakfast?"

She looked at her watch. "More like lunch."

Sirius checked his watch and realized it was early afternoon. "Okay, lunch then. Get ready, we'll go find somewhere to eat."

"Let's just order something in," Hermione countered, spinning a lock of her hair between her fingers. "I don't want to go through all the fuss of getting ready."

"Deal," he smiled at her. They chose a couple items off the room service menu, and sat on the loungers on the veranda waiting for their meal.

"What's the plan for today?" Sirius asked, watching the waves in the distance.

"I was thinking of hitting the salon," Hermione replied, twisting her hair again. "I've let my hair get long and scraggly. It's driving me nuts."

"Why didn't you use a simple severing charm on it?"

"I don't trust myself to do it properly, and I really didn't trust Harry or Ron with my hair. Would you?"

"Not on your life. A day of pampering it is. Just charge it to the room."

"No way, Sirius. I'm getting this one myself."

Sirius didn't reply, just moved his eyes to his book.

Hermione raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. She opened her own book and busied herself reading. He dared to look out of the corner of his eye at her, and couldn't help but stare at the beautiful young witch beside him. It was fascinating how she could lose herself in her reading, like nothing else was going on in the world. Was this how she escaped the fear that must have been surrounding her those months with Harry?

When there was a knock on the room door he excused himself. He told her to wait on the porch, that he would bring her salad out to her. He didn't want her to hear him make the phone call.

* * *

"You must be Miss Granger," the middle-aged stylist greeted her the moment she entered the salon.

She nodded, fuming inside. She knew what had happened. Sirius must have called down to tell them to expect her, and to charge her cut to the room.

"Come this way," she beckoned. They walked past the stylist chairs and through a door.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, confused.

"For your massage, of course," the woman replied.

"Massage?" she exclaimed. She would kill Sirius. Back through the Veil with him.

"Yes, Mr. Black was insistent that you get the whole relaxation package from start to finish. Massage, mud bath, manicure, pedicure, aromatherapy, facial massage, makeover, and, of course, hair cut and style," the woman rattled off as she opened the door to a dim room. "There's a robe in here, you can change into after the massage. For now we'll need you to lie down, Jessica will be here in a minute for you."

Once the woman left Hermione turned red as she stripped down as quickly as she could and pulled a large towel around herself. A minute later a pretty young woman came in and flashed a dazzling smile at her. "Hermione?" she verified.

Hermione could only nod in response.

"First time, eh?" Jessica smiled at her, turning on some music. "Just tell me if anything is making your uncomfortable or hurting, OK?"

Another nod.

"Just lie down there, and we'll get started."

Hermione obliged.

"Is this your first time to Australia?" Jessica asked, trying to make conversation.

"Yes," Hermione replied. Somehow the conversation made her feel more at ease.

"What brings you down here?"

"Family," she replied, saying the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you enjoying it so far?"

Hermione nodded, not knowing if Jessica could see it or not through her mane of hair. She exhaled heavily as she felt the expert hands pass over her shoulders, releasing some of the tension, and thought that maybe she wouldn't kill Sirius after all.

* * *

He was still out on the veranda when she returned from the salon. She bounced in, clearly more relaxed than she had been in weeks.

"Wow," he muttered, unable to stop staring at her. Her wild hair was now tamed without use of Sleekeazy, and it fell in soft ringlets around her face. The hint of makeup that had been applied to her face made her glow, or maybe that was the smile.

She blushed as she watched him stare at her, then decided it was okay to move forward and give him a quick hug. "Thank you, Sirius," she whispered. "I can't believe you managed to set that up over the phone."

"You know me. **I'm too handsome to do paperwork.**"

She shook her head, and spoke without thinking. "**That smugness of yours really is an attractive quality.**" Her mouth opened in horror as she realized what words had just spilled from it.

Sirius didn't miss a beat. "**Thank you,**" he replied. "**It was either that or get my hair highlighted. Smugness is easier to maintain.**"

She laughed, thankful he didn't call her out for her comment.

"You look stunning," he replied, closing his book.

"I feel amazing," she beamed. It wasn't a lie, she felt better than she had in years.

"I'm taking you out," he said. It was a statement, not a request.

"Oh, you probably had plans. You don't have to..."

"Stop, 'Mione. Today is all about making you feel relaxed. We'll go find some quiet little cafe for dinner, then maybe out to a bar. Gaze at the Muggles, talk to them, whatever, it's not a date. I just don't think you should spend your whole vacation sitting in this hotel room, and I'm kind of itching to go out and see what Brisbane has to offer."

She nodded, feeling excited and nervous. She didn't want to look at the Muggle boys, and spending the whole night by Sirius was something she had wanted to do, though she was sure he didn't feel the same way. Even going out as friends was more than she could have hoped for. No, not those feelings again. Maybe she should do some Muggle-watching to get her mind off her best friend's Godfather.

She hurried to her room and pulled on a black denim skirt and a light blue peasant blouse. It was the nicest thing she had in her beaded bag, and it upset her that she didn't have better clothes. The next day she would have to sneak off and do some shopping without Sirius. She added a simple silver necklace, and some earrings to match. She then sat on the bed to wait a few minutes, both to calm her nerves and to not make it seem like she was too nervous to go out with him.

In the room across the suite Sirius took time to throw on a tight-fitting pair of black jeans, a black button-up shirt, and his motorcycle jacket over it. He stood in the mirror and shook his head. "It's not a date," he repeated to himself as he pictured running a hand through those soft curls. No, this was Hermione. He risked losing his friendship with her and Harry if he tried something with her. He'd have to have fun tonight, then let her run off to her own room without a dirty thought passing through his mind. He promised it to himself.

"You look wonderful," he murmured as she appeared from her room, and he tossed a helmet towards her. She caught it, blushing. She kept her distance down the hall and in the elevator, but he pulled her to him as they walked across the lobby.

"The clerk had his eye on you," he explained as Hermione looked up at him as they exited the front door.

"Jealous?" she asked before she could stop herself. She could have sworn he blushed.

The valet pulled the bike around, then jumped off the thing like it was burning him. He handed Sirius the keys, then scurried behind the valet station where he declined to sit on his stool.

It took Hermione a moment to realize what the strange behavior was about, and snickering she climbed onto the bike behind Sirius.

**Please review!**


	6. Love Hurts

**A/N: I'm throwing in my entry for the 'Love Song Challenge' on HPFC. My song was Love Hurtsby Incubus. It's my first attempt at a songfic, so don't hate me if I didn't do that great with it. As always, quotes from various challenges in bold.**

The bike roared to a stop in a parking spot in front of an interesting looking bar. If she was paying attention to what was going on she would notice that most of the people on the street were walking right by the place as if it didn't exist. The two that did enter while they were locking the bike up waited until there was a break in the foot traffic to scurry inside.

As they entered Hermione was amazed. Clusters of couches and large poufs were scattered throughout, making the place look much larger than it did from the outside. Strands of lights hung haphazardly around, making the walls look as if they were covered in tiny stars. Lanterns hung in the air...

"Wait a minute..." she muttered, eyes darting around. Lanterns hanging of their own accord, drinks mixing themselves behind the bar, music coming from what seemed like the walls themselves, too big for the front. "Sirius!" she jokingly hit his arm. "All the bars in Australia, and you manage to find a Wizarding one?"

Sirius was smiling, amused at the situation. "You can see it was well as I. I didn't know it wasn't there for Muggles."

Hermione rolled her eyes, stepped to the bar, and ordered a drink. "Jell-o shot, Sirius?"

"**Somehow I just can't imagine you taking a Jell-o shot**," he smirked.

She responded by downing the shot the bartender put in front of her, then paying for her drink and Sirius' beer. They made their way through the bar to an empty couch with three surrounding poufs.

"Forgive me for bringing you to a Wizard bar?" Sirius asked, a fake pathetic look on his face.

Hermione pretended to be thinking. "I guess so. But only because that massage put me in a really good mood."

"Oh, well, thank Merlin," he said sitting back confidently. "It is a nice little place, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded, but still had the feeling of eyes on her. The feeling was explained immediately by the appearance of thee witches and two wizards. They stood just outside of the circle made by the couch and three poufs, looking at them out of the corner of their eyes, making Hermione feel uncomfortable. Beside her Sirius placed an arm around her protectively as he straightened up.

"Do you think we should leave?" he murmured.

Before she could answer one of the witches broke from the group and approached them. "Are you..." she started, looking nervous, "are you Hermione Granger?"

Hermione was shocked. "Yes," she answered slowly.

The girl visibly relaxed. "I've read all about you in the paper," she sat on the pouf next to Sirius. The rest of the group came over, taking seats on the poufs, one on the couch, one standing. "I'm Annemarie. These are Patsy, Jason, Troy, and Cyril," she pointed to each of her friends, who all waved awkwardly as they were announced. "We've heard so much about you, we followed the whole thing with Voldemort..."

She stopped as Sirius visibly shuddered.

_Tonight we drink to youth, and holding fast to truth_

_Don't want to lose what I had as a boy_

"What's wrong?" the standing Wizard, now known to be Troy, asked Sirius.

"Would you like to sit while I explain?" Sirius asked, and before Hermione could protest he scooped her up in his arms and placed her on his lap.

Hermione couldn't help but feeling a fire start smoldering in her abdomen, but she didn't protest. Sirius wouldn't do this without a good reason, and it wasn't like she wasn't enjoying it.

"I shuddered," Sirius said, "because we don't speak his name."

Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "Fear of a name..." she started.

"I know," Sirius interrupted. "Only increases fear of the thing itself. But that doesn't mean he didn't kill most of my friends and that I want to be reminded of him."

"You look familiar," Cyril said in a tone that reminded Hermione of Luna.

Neither one of them replied.

"Black," Jason said excitedly. "You're Sirius Black! There were wanted posters of you in every Wizarding establishment a few years ago, but they were taken down a little while ago."

Sirius looked down. He didn't want to talk about it.

"What are you doing on this side of the world?" Annemarie asked.

"Vacation," Hermione replied. "After the final battle and all that we decided that that we needed to get away."

Patsy nodded. "It sounded like you guys were having a rough time of it over in England."

Hermione looked away. She didn't feel like discussing the war or anything she had been up to recently. Sirius, in an instinctual move, grabbed one of her hands with his and started stroking it.

_My heart still has a beat, but love is now a feat_

_As common as a cold day in LA_

Sparks flew from the tips of each of his fingers through her skin and up her arm. It took all her strength to not show a reaction to the touch. The embers in her abdomen flared up suddenly.

"So what was it like? Trying to destroy the Horcruxes?" Patsy asked, leaning forward excitedly.

"I really don't want to talk about it," Hermione murmured. "Kind of why I came on vacation, you know?"

The group nodded.

"So," Annemarie asked, looking from Sirius to Hermione. "Are you two an item now?"

Sirius' arm snaked around her waist. "We're seeing where it's going," he lied.

_Sometimes when I'm alone I wonder_

_Is there a spell that I am under_

_Keeping me from seeing the real thing?_

He was only protecting her, but she was somewhat hurt by the lie. Why was he being so possessive if he didn't have any intentions of pursuing her? Why was he causing this fire? Why couldn't he let her go find another to quench the flame if he was unwilling to do it himself?

He looked into Hermione's face and could tell she was conflicted, she had been ever since he had hoisted her onto his lap. But he could smell the newcomers, and he did not trust Troy. His senses told him that his sights were set on Hermione, and that he wanted her for no other purpose than to say that he had her. He wouldn't let her go with him. He would do what it took to make it seem like they were together. But having Hermione on his lap was making it hard for him to concentrate. He wanted to reach forward, to kiss her neck, to smell her hair, to taste her. It was driving him nuts.

"What was it like in Azkaban?" someone asked, and since the question was so obviously directed at him it brought him back into the conversation.

"Horrible," he answered truthfully.

"How did you escape?"

Sirius shook his head and answered miserably, "A magician never reveals all his secrets."

Hermione read his expression and placed an arm around him in comfort.

_Love hurts, but sometimes it's a good hurt_

_And it feels like I'm alive_

_Love sings when it transcends the bad things_

_Have a heart and try me_

_'Cuz without love I won't survive_

He couldn't help but rest his head in her welcoming arms. The only way to keep the memories of his years surrounded by Dementors was to breathe in her warm and familiar scent. Relief flooded through his body as he took her in, and he found it more difficult to resist her.

"What are you planning on doing here?" Patsy asked in a friendly voice. "We can help you find the best Wizarding attractions..."

"Oh, no," Hermione responded with a smile. "We were kind of traveling as Muggles. Staying in a Muggle hotel, eating at Muggle restaurants, going to Muggle attractions."

Cyril smiled warmly. "On my tour around the world, at graduation, I came across a little pub in London that I had no idea was Wizarding, though I should have known by the name. The Smoking Cauldron or something like that."

"The Leaky Cauldron," Hermione corrected. "It hides the entrance to Diagon Alley."

"Yes, my second cousin told me all about Diagon Alley, and I was dying to see it. But she neglected to tell me how to get in, just which neighborhood it was in, and it was lucky I came across the pub."

"Your second cousin lives in London?"

"Oh, no, no where near it, but she does much of her shopping for school supplies in Diagon Alley. Her name is Luna Lovegood, ever heard of her?"

"Luna!" Hermione exclaimed, a broad smile crossing her face. "Of course I know Luna! She's a good friend."

"I didn't know. I haven't spoken to her in a couple years."

"Well, she's been through a lot recently. She was held prisoner by Voldemort." Sirius shuddered again, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm sure she'd be better at telling the tale than I would. I didn't even see her there, I was..."

_I'm fettered and abused_

_I stand naked and accused_

_Should I surface this one man submarine_

_I only want the truth_

_So tonight we drink to youth_

_I'll never lose what I had as a boy_

Sirius didn't think about what he was doing. He just wrapped his arms around Hermione. Harry had told him about what had happened between Hermione and Bellatrix, and he couldn't believe how brave she was. He needed to make sure she didn't have to remember that night. He reached up and wiped a tear away from her face and resisted the urge to kiss her. It was getting more and more difficult. He was starting to feel more and more like he was twenty years old again just thinking about her, holding her even more so. He began to wonder what she would do if he acted upon his urges.

She reached forward and finished her drink in one gulp, making sure that she avoided Sirius' eyes. When he had leaned forward she was sure he was going to kiss her, but he hadn't. It was maddening, the teasing he probably didn't know he was doing. She needed to drink, she felt the tension growing back inside her. She needed to feel as carefree as she had walking out of the salon earlier that day. A waitress appeared with another immediately, and before Sirius could move she handed over her money.

"What is Luna now, a seventh year?" Cyril asked nervously, noting Hermione's reaction to her last statement.

"Yes. She's at Hogwarts," Hermione replied.

"Oh, I'd love to go to Hogwarts," Troy smiled, leaning back. "I've heard such wonderful things, and the building must be beautiful."

"Where's the Wizarding School in Australia?" Hermione asked with curiosity.

"Oh, Merlin!" Sirius smirked. "You found something that Hermione doesn't know! Mark the date, this is never going to happen again."

"You're horrible, Sirius Black," Hermione snapped, crossing her arms and turning away from him. She moved to stand up and find somewhere else to sit.

He reached up, grabbed her, and held her on his lap. "You know you love me," he smiled at her.

"No, I hate you."

"There's a fine line between love and hate," he smirked.

"**No, there is not a thin line between love and hate. There is, in fact, a Great Wall of China with armed sentries every twenty feet between love and hate**. And right now, you're well into Mongolia."

Jason was laughing, Troy was looking Hermione up and down as if he were ready to pounce.

"I'll do my penance," Sirius murmured. "Please stay, Hermione."

_Sometimes when I'm alone I wonder_

_Is there a spell that I am under_

_Keeping me from seeing the real thing?_

A shiver went down her spine as he said her name quietly. _What is he playing at?_ she thought angrily. _What is this all about?_

"Are the staff nice at Hogwarts?" Annemarie asked.

"Yes, very much so," Hermione said with enthusiasm. "And they're all so smart. We have some of the best teachers in the world."

"I would have loved to be in a school under Albus Dumbledore. We studied him in our History of Magic class, he must have been fascinating."

"He was," Hermione smiled. She knew Dumbledore wouldn't want her upset over his death. "But you never answered my question. Where's the Wizarding School in Australia?"

"It's actually in New Zealand," Annemarie replied. "It's built into the side of a mountain, so it's hard to come across."

"The thinner air helps us fly better in Quidditch," Jason threw in.

"And since it's so high up we can play above much of the weather," Troy added.

"And the cold keeps us on our toes."

"Incredible," Hermione smiled.

"What is?"

"That even in Australia all boys want to do is talk about Quidditch!"

Patsy and Annemarie started laughing.

"But Quidditch is awesome," Sirius protested.

"We like Quidditch as much as the next person, but it's not something we need to talk about every moment of every day," Patsy explained.

"Thank Merlin!" Hermione said excitedly. "I'm not the only one who thinks that way!"

"Of course you're not, it's part of this condition called being female," Jason rolled his eyes.

"It's a dangerous condition," Sirius smirked.

"Being anywhere near you is a dangerous condition," Hermione snapped.

"**I take chances all the time. It's one of my worst qualities**. And you know you love it, 'Mione," he leaned towards her.

_Love hurts, but sometimes it's a good hurt_

_And it feels like I'm alive_

_Love sings when it transcends the bad things_

_Have a heart and try me_

_'Cuz without love I won't survive_

_Oh, my God, is he going to do it?_ she thought, her body stiffening. He was getting closer. There was nothing she could do, she was unable to move.

She looked so beautiful when she was angry. He couldn't help himself. He leaned forward and caught her lips with his.

The warmth of his kiss spread all throughout her body, and she was able to move again. She leaned into him and her shaking hand came to rest on his shoulder. She forgot anyone else was sitting in the room, it was just her and Sirius. She wanted to hold him to her, to deepen the kiss, to make it last all night.

Instead he pulled away from her, his face difficult to read. He checked his watch. "'Mione, that show I wanted to watch is on soon. Do you mind if I leave?"

"Do you want me to go with you?"

Sirius looked conflicted as he looked from Hermione to Troy. "If you want to," he muttered.

Hermione got up, bade the group good-bye, and rushed after Sirius, who was already at the door. When she made it outside he was leaning in the front window of a taxi.

"I paid him to get you back," he muttered, sitting astride his bike. "I'll see you back at the hotel."

"But Sirius..." she said, but she was cut off as the bike roared to life. She watched as he sped down the street before she climbed into the taxi, trying not to cry.

_'Cuz without love I won't survive_

**Please review!**


	7. Realizations

"Are you getting in, girlie?" the cabbie asked a stunned Hermione, who was unable to move.

Hermione looked from the taxi to the tail light as it sped around the corner. It would be best for her to leave, but she was rooted to the spot.

"You're going to owe money if I have to sit here much longer."

"Get lost," Hermione grumbled. "Keep the damn money." She stormed back into the bar, straight to the counter and ordered herself two shots, which she downed before the others noticed she was back.

"Is something wrong?" Patsy appeared inside her.

"Sirius..." Hermione muttered, but she didn't say anything after that. What was the point in explaining the non-relationship to a person who was mostly a stranger?

Patsy ordered a round of something weaker and passed a Butterbeer to Hermione, who took it with a small smile of thanks. "Fight often?" she pried slightly.

"He's Sirius Bloody Black," Hermione rolled her eyes. "The man's a walking argument."

"Many men are," she smiled sadly, casting a glance over her shoulder at Troy.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even bother," she muttered glumly.

"Because you're in love."

Hermione's head shot up.

"It's obvious. The way you smile when he looks at you, how you keep pressing yourself to him, anybody could read that you're absolutely crazy about him from across the room. And it's not difficult to see he feels the same way about you."

"Really?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You can't tell me this is all news to you?"

Hermione shrugged. "We haven't really been together all that long. I guess I didn't really think of it as into the 'crazy about each other' stage quite yet."

"If you didn't realize it yet, he might not have realized it yet. But the nice thing about that kind of love is that they usually come back begging forgiveness."

Hermione sighed. She wasn't sure she wanted forgiveness. There wasn't a relationship, she reminded herself. For whatever reason Sirius had wanted to make it look like there was one, but that didn't magically make a romance happen. She needed to get away from him. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that spending too much time around Sirius Black was a bad idea.

"I need to go home," she said, standing. She was a little drunk, but still perfectly capable of finding a taxi. Or Apparating to a spot near the hotel.

"I'll take you there," Patsy smiled nicely.

"Oh, you don't have to."

"I want to," she shrugged. "I'll make sure you get there OK, then I'll Apparate right back here."

Hermione smiled at the other witch. "I'm going to have to come back here," she said. "You're a very nice person."

Patsy almost blushed. "I can't believe Hermione Granger thinks I'm worth hanging around."

"Stop. I'm just a normal person."

"I know, I know. You're a normal, slightly drunk person. Let's get you home."

* * *

The bike rumbled down darkened street with little regard for those living nearby. He concentrated hard on following every traffic law he could find a sign for, trying to keep his mind from what he had just done.

But red lights proved to be his downfall, as every time his feet hit the ground as he waited permission to proceed his mind wandered back to the club. _What in the world came over me?_ he thought. I wanted to kiss her, and I did. She couldn't possibly feel the same way about me that I do about her.

And yet she hadn't pulled away from him, he had to break the kiss. She hadn't acted shocked and stayed frozen, she had participated enthusiastically, if not nervously. And she had been enjoying the attention he was giving her all night. He could smell her becoming excited. And this troubled him more than anything. She was young, too young for him. As smart as she was, she had yet to learn to stay away from men like him.

Why did I do it in the first place? he asked himself. What possessed me to sit her on my lap? The easy answer was because he didn't trust Troy, and he wanted to give the illusion that there was a relationship so he would leave Hermione alone, but this excuse fell apart with any amount of thought. All he would have to do would be to signal Hermione, to pull her aside and mention it, to whisper it to her quickly, and she was smart enough to know better. But he had become possessive. He had claimed Hermione as his, and she seemed turned on by the idea.

He needed to get his head back on straight. He needed to act on his animal instincts. If he could spend some time with a woman then he might not feel the emotions he was having towards Hermione. It would be best for both of them if he could control himself more around her.

He circled around blocks for a couple hours before he settled on a place. A small billiards hall and bar that looked half full and had several groups of women around his age sitting in tables, looking hungrily at the men. He parked the bike out front, and this immediately got the attention of three women sitting by one of the dingy windows. He put his helmet on his bike and, using his coat to cover his wand, cast a quick protective charm. He sauntered in, turning the heads of a couple more women sitting at the bar. He found a stool and ordered another beer.

"Hey, stranger" a bleach blonde woman who looked to be in her mid thirties came and sat next to him. He looked her over. She wore clothes more common for teenagers, jeans slung too low on her hips, a jean jacket, and a t-shirt stretched tight over her chest. But still one of the more attractive women in the bar.

"Hello," he answered, flashing her a quick smile.

"Tourist?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Where are you from?"

"London."

"What do you do?"

**"Great thing about being a grownup, you never have to do anything."**

She raised an eyebrow. "What brings you to Brisbane?"

"I needed to get away."

"You're not much of a talker, are you?"

"You can say my talents are elsewhere," he smirked. That did the trick. She was now completely interested in him. _Still got it_, he told himself.

"My name is Leslie," she extended her hand, which he shook once before picking up his beer to take a drink.

"Sirius," he responded.

"That is an interesting name. Where did your parents dig that one up?"

He shrugged. "Never bothered to ask."

"So, is that your bike out front?"

"Sure is."

She eyed him hungrily. He smiled to himself. He could probably take her right now and she wouldn't object. She scooted her stool closer to him, touched his arm, and batted her eyes at him. "Care to take a lady for a ride?" she asked in what was supposed to sound like a sultry voice.

He made a motion to get up and lead her out, but something stopped him. In a group of young people walking in was a mane of bushy brown hair. His heart leapt to his throat in excitement, until he realized that the hair didn't belong to Hermione. But if she could cause that sort of reaction just by the thought of her, he realized he was making a big mistake. He needed to talk to Hermione. Now.

* * *

She opened the door and flung her purse across the room in anger. Once Patsy had left her outside the hotel the emotions had come flooding back. How dare he play her like that! How dare he kiss her and run out! She went to her room and started gathering her clothes.

She looked at the clock and her thoughts of leaving to find her parents to stay with them rushed out the window. It was nearing one in the morning, her parents, never a pair to stay up late, would be long asleep by now. Damn.

She decided to leave the packing until morning, and she laid on the bed. She quickly cast a silencing charm and an imperturbable charm on the door and placed her wand on the side table. She sat in the lounger and closed her eyes. How stupid was she, thinking that anything Sirius was doing was anything more than Sirius being Sirius.

She had liked the kiss. She had liked the attention leading up to the kiss, but she wasn't expecting Sirius to actually touch his lips to hers. And, as cliché as it sounded coming from a witch, it had felt magical. Much different than the kiss that she and Ron had shared. That kiss felt mechanical, almost like they were players on some sort of stage and the kiss was part of the script. There were no sparks behind it, but she had attributed it to fatigue and the worry of the looming battle.

I'm a fool, she thought gloomily. Why did I ever think Sirius Black would want me?

She laid the game plan out in her head. The next day she would spend some time to herself. She'd get out, have lunch with herself, do some shopping as she had planned, and when the dental office closed she'd follow her parents back to their house and lift the spells on them. Hopefully they'd have a room she could stay in, her mother was never one to go without a guest room, and she could spend the rest of her vacation staying with them. After explaining what had happened, of course.

She needed to wind down, so she picked up the remote and turned on the television. Instead of watching the screen she watched the dancing shadows the light cast upon the walls. She didn't know how long she stared at the flickering figures before sleep finally overcame her.

**Please leave a review. I'm really sorry about him storming off last chapter! Hopefully I started making up for it.**


	8. Battle of the mind

**A/N: Sorry this took a while. I had written it before, but I didn't like how Sirius sounded, so I re-wrote it. Hope you like it, either way please review. Thanks to everyone who has left a few words, it means a lot to me to hear your ideas or just that you like the story.**

**I threw in two House quotes and one of my 100 Quotes challenge quotes. Enjoy!**

"Hermione?" Sirius said as he opened the door to the suite. All that answered was the lingering darkness. He could see lights flashing under her door. He walked up to the door and repeated his call. Either she couldn't hear him or she was ignoring him. He tried knocking on the door, but his hand couldn't make contact with the door. Clever witch, she knows how to be left alone.

He decided that the best way to get her attention was to camp out in the common room and wait for her to emerge in the morning. Staying up all night was nothing new to him. He made himself comfortable on the couch and waited for the sun to come up.

* * *

She slept in the next morning, exhausted from everything going on, and she finally emerged around eleven. She found Sirius sleeping on the couch, his head on his chest, arms crossed, still sitting mostly up. She smiled slightly, but wondered why he would choose the couch over his bed. She left her small beaded bag in her room after extracting a more reasonable looking purse, and quietly left.

Leaving the hotel she had no idea where to go, so she took a left and started walking. It was weird, not having to keep looking over her shoulder. People passed her without a second glance, if they glanced at all. Complete freedom, and she wasn't sure what to do with it.

The first clothing store she passed was an expensive boutique. While the outfit in the window was cute it probably doubled her clothing budget.

_Just the type of place Sirius would love to take me_, she thought. She rolled her eyes. She was sure there were a few hundred, maybe thousand women who would love nothing more than to be Sirius Black's pet, but she wasn't one of them. She had plans for later, and none of them included doing absolutely nothing, as Sirius seemed inclined to be doing recently. She wanted to study, she wanted a job, she wanted to go out there and do things, and Sirius seemed happy to just follow the wind. None of her hopes and dreams involved him.

Well, they did include Sirius Black. As a good friend and her best friend's Godfather.

_And why don't they involve Sirius?_ her brain piped up. _Why would life be so bad if you were with Sirius?_

"Quiet brain," she ordered herself in a low mutter. "If you don't think that again I'll reward you with coffee."

The offering of caffeine seemed to placate her mind for a while. She wandered until she found a department store and started towards the women's clothes. She started poking around and found a knee-length pencil skirt and a button up blouse. She went to the dressing room and tried them on.

"Cute," she muttered, examining herself in the mirror.

_Yeah, if you're looking for a professional job_, her brain replied. She shook her head, she could see two tiny eyes on her brain rolling.

"It's not bad," she muttered aloud, trying to convince herself.

_Not bad at all. Maybe Sirius has a fetish for schoolmarms_, her brain rebuffed.

Sighing and swearing off coffee for the day she changed back into her clothes and went out in search of something a little younger looking.

Two hours later she left the store with bags full of new clothes and a considerably lighter wallet. She found a small cafe on her wanderings and sat down for some lunch, deliberately ordering tea. She sat by the window, looking out at the passing people. Inevitably her mind started wandering to the previous night.

There was something comforting about being in Sirius' arms. For the first time in months she forgot all about Voldemort, Bellatrix, and their sadistic group of 'friends'. All the bad thoughts had been pushed from her mind, and she was living in the moment. She could smile freely, she could laugh, she didn't have to worry about what would happen in the next five weeks, five days, or five minutes because he was safe. But there was always the question to why he had done it. Men don't just pick up women and hold them on their laps, did they? At Hogwarts Seamus and Dean had never done it. Harry, well, her relationship with Harry was much more complicated than merely best friends, but he had never held her on his lap and flirted with her. Even Ron had never done such a thing. The only one who had ever held her anything like what Sirius had done the night before was Viktor, and there were definite differences between the two. Sirius touched her lightly, she felt almost like property in Viktor's arms.

She sighed in frustration. Why did relationships have to be so complicated? In so many movies she had watched as a little girl it was two people looking at each other and knowing almost instantaneously that they were meant for each other. Happily ever after, right? Even if there was a conflict it was quickly resolved and the two lovers were together at the end.

So which movie was she in? Were she and Ron destined to be together and this break was only going to make them realize that they were soul mates or whatever it was called? And if so, where did that leave Sirius? And why did sitting on his lap feel so right?

_Why are you so afraid to like Sirius?_ her brain asked.

"I do like him," she muttered, glad no one in the cafe was paying attention to her mutterings.

_OK, smartass, why are you afraid to love him?_

"Great. Even my brain is sarcastic."

_Stop deflecting._

She sighed. She started thinking of all the reasons Sirius was wrong for her. First of all he was twenty years older.

_Age is but a number._

He spent so long in Azkaban.

_He didn't do it._

He is the quintessential 'bad boy'.

_Only on the surface. And what girl doesn't like her beau to be a little rough around the edges?_

He's Harry's godfather.

_Harry would want to see you both happy._

Ron will kill me.

_Ron would want to see you happy._

Ron will kill him.

_No, he wouldn't. You overestimate his temper. Would you be mad if he returned with a girlfriend?_

I would if it was my Godmother.

_No, you wouldn't. You'd wish them good luck and send them on their merry way._

Sirius doesn't want to be tied down to anyone.

_I'm your brain, not his. I don't know that._

Why must you be so insistent on this?

_Why must you be so against it?_

She knew she could never win an argument with her own mind. Deep down she was dead set on having a go with Sirius. She needed to talk to him. Good thing she didn't bring her stuff so she could chicken out and make a break for her parents.

* * *

He woke up and the first thing he noticed was that the door to her room was open. He stood and walked over, fully expecting all her stuff to be gone, but her little beaded bag sat in the middle of the bed. She was either planning on ditching all her stuff, or she was planning on coming back. He'd just have to wait for her to return.

But what was he going to say? Hello, Hermione, welcome back. Listen, I think you're fabulous, feel like going on a date?

He must have slept later than he thought, because he heard a key turning in the door. He stood up straight in the middle of the room, hearing his heart pounding in his ears.

"Hey," she muttered, dropping her shopping bags on the floor.

"How was shopping?" he said, eyeing the armload of bags.

"I found some cute new outfits. Want to see?"

"Maybe later," he smiled. "Can we talk?"

A look flashed across her face. Fear? Excitement? He couldn't tell, it left too quickly. "Sure," she said. She put her bags into her room and returned to sit on the couch next to him. They faced each other, keeping an awkward space between them.

They sat in silence for a full minute, each staring at the cushion between them.

"About last night," Sirius started. She looked up at him excitedly. "I knew I was being too forward. I shouldn't have done, well, any of the things I did." Her face fell slightly. "But the truth is that I find you very attractive, Hermione."

She smiled.

"There are so many parts of me that tell me that what I'm thinking is wrong. But I've never really been one to listen to those parts," he smirked.

"Sirius Black, if you're going to ask me on a date you should just get along with it before I'm too old and ugly to hold your interest."

He chucked. "That's the kind of attitude that's going to get you in trouble, young lady."

"Don't you start pulling that 'honor your elders' crap on me," she rolled her eyes. "If we're talking maturity you and I are about on the same page."

He looked wounded. "OK, OK, would you like to go on a date?"

She raised an eyebrow. "That certainly was a change in attitude."

**"You know me, hostility makes me shrink up like... I can't think of a non-sexual metaphor."**

She giggled, then straightened herself back up. "I'd love to go out with you."

"Great," he smiled cockily, then closed the gap between them, threw an arm around her, and put his feet up on the coffee table.

"Comfortable, are you?"

"Expensive suite, check. Giant television which haven't gotten to properly appreciate before, check. Beautiful woman on my arm, check. Life is good."

"That's all that it takes to make you happy? Standards a little low, aren't they?" she asked, shaking her head.

"No need to hit below the belt, love."

"**Hey, I can be a jerk to people I haven't slept with. I'm that good."**

"No. That's one of the nice things about being female. You can be mean to a guy and as long as you are willing to have sex with him he'll take the abuse."

"That's a relatively negative way of thinking."

"Would you care to make this an experiment?"

"I'm in no mood for practicals right now."

"Damn. And I had a glimmer of hope there."

"Sirius!" she snapped.

**"I'm warning you! I'm well versed in the ancient art of origami!"**

**"Paper folding?"** she rolled her eyes.

"You never know when it'll come in handy," he smiled, waving his wand at a pink flyer sitting by the door. It floated into the air, folded itself into a rose, and presented itself to Hermione, who took it, blushing.


	9. Normalcy

**A/N: I really had to think of a place they could go on a date that would have a decidedly Sirius feel to it. So I wrote this chapter in another locale, but re-wrote it when I thought of this. I hope you like it. Please review!**

She had never felt like such a stereotypical woman. Rejected outfits littered the bed, and her options were starting to wear thin. What did someone wear to a 'casual' date? What about if the person you were going out with had seen you walking around in pajamas and old sweats before, did that change things? Sighing she decided that she'd lay her five favorites on the bed and pick by the ultimate deciding factor. Eenie meanie miney mo. The single person's rock paper scissors.

She landed on a pair of jeans and a dark blue top. She put it on and examined herself in the mirror. Sufficiently casual, and very 'Sirius'. She added a leather jacket, something she had picked up spur of the moment on her shopping trip as it reminded her of her suitemate, checked her makeup, and took a deep breath before walking out of her room.

Sirius wolf-whistled as she moved into the common room.

"Careful, Black," she smirked, trying to hide her blush. "I can call the whole thing off right now."

"You wouldn't do that to an old man like me, would you?"

She smiled at him. "What's the plan?"

"Bike ride?"

"Sounds good to start."

They wandered to the elevator. When the doors opened a few floors down the same woman who had given them the dirty look upon their arrival entered with her husband. Immediately Sirius threw an arm around Hermione's waist and drew her closer. He bent to give her a prolonged kiss on the cheek. The woman shot them another look before turning to stare pointedly at the door.

"You're horrible," Hermione muttered as they walked out of the elevator.

"Playing to my strengths," Sirius smirked. They met the couple again as they waited outside for the bike to come around. They earned another look as Hermione hopped on the back of the bike and they sped away past the woman as she was climbing into the taxi.

Hermione shook her head slightly. Sirius seemed to be enjoying himself and getting his swagger back. He had been hidden so long she couldn't deny him the opportunity to push the boundaries a little bit. They meandered through the city, in no obvious direction, but that was okay. Any excuse to cling onto Sirius a bit more. A couple times her mind wandered back to Grimmauld Place, to the meeting with Harry and Ron where, if they were a couple at that point, she and Sirius would have to explain themselves, but she pushed those thoughts away quickly. The meeting was three weeks away. Right now she just wanted to enjoy her time with Sirius, and this time she couldn't blame all the feelings on the bike's vibrations.

Something piqued his interest, and he pulled over in front of a brightly lit neon building. They secured the bike and wandered inside.

"An arcade?" Hermione asked, looking around.

"You can't tell me a Muggle-born like you never played video games," Sirius smiled back.

"Growing up I'd rather read than play video games. My parents offered to get me a game set for Christmas one year, I asked for a gift certificate to a bookstore instead."

Sirius laughed. "Good. That should make my victory all the much easier."

"Don't men usually let their dates win? As to up their chances?"

"Normally, but you're Granger. The bragging rights might be worth the risk of making you mad."

Hermione rolled her eyes, took his hand, and steered him towards a car racing game. She took a seat and prepared herself while he put money in the slot.

"You're going down, Black," she muttered.

"Probably. Since I haven't been in one of these since... I can't remember when. You picked this one instead of the bike racing one on purpose, didn't you?"

"Just get ready, Sirius," she said, placing one hand on the steering wheel and one hand on the gearshift.

From the moment the race started it wasn't much of a competition. Hermione, who had been taught to drive by her father, took an early lead that lasted the whole race. She had already completed half the race by the time Sirius got the hang of shifting. And once he had managed to start shifting he had difficulties staying on the course on sharp turns. She finished and crossed her arms behind her head while leaning back as Sirius' side of the machine informed him of his loss.

"So you beat a newbie, congratulations," Sirius muttered, looking at her. "You want a medal or something?"

"Alright, if you think it's so unfair I chose a car racing game we'll do one you pick and see if you can have your slaughter."

Sirius took her hand and led her around the arcade, searching for the perfect game. They had done two laps before he settled for a martial arts game. And, despite her grumblings that the game was 'barbaric', he put his coins in the slot and motioned for her to join him. She sighed, sidled up to the second set of controls, and chose her character. The game started, and as much as she jabbed her fingers at the controllers Sirius' character continued to wallop on her until her character keeled over dead.

"So you beat a newbie. Congratulations. You want a medal or something?" Hermione repeated to him.

"I'd settle for a kiss."

Hermione looked up at him, leaned forward as if to kiss him and, with he lips less than an inch from his said sultrily, "I'll Skee-ball you for it."

He growled in frustration. "Fine," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her quickly through the arcade until they came across the Skee-ball lanes. They set themselves up in two lanes next to each other.

"Name your terms," Hermione said, picking up one of the balls.

"Highest score wins. I win, you have to give me a kiss."

"I win you teach me how to drive the bike."

He looked shocked. "You want to drive my baby?"

"You can always back out if you want to," she looked innocent before turning towards the lane. She shrugged out of the leather jacket, revealing the low-cut top beneath.

"You're on," he growled. They started rolling balls down the lane. Hermione knew the game well enough to be pretty accurate with her throws. But no so accurate that she pulled too far ahead. She made sure to keep one roll behind Sirius. After his last ball hit the end of the lane she realized she needed only twenty points to win. She could tell Sirius noticed this, too, as he didn't look too happy. She lobbed her last ball so lightly that she didn't get any points.

"Oh, you win," she said casually, turning towards him.

"You threw it," he said, staring down her lane.

"No, it slipped," she said shrugging.

"Well, in that case," he said, closing the gap between them, leaning down, and pressing his lips firmly to hers. She pressed herself into him, this time determined not to end the kiss until she was good and ready. She entwined her hand with his to prevent him from running away again before breaking the embrace.

"Merlin's pants, 'Mione," he whispered, looking her over.

She sighed. "What is with you and Ron and putting all your emotions into articles of Merlin's clothing or parts of his body?"

"It's just the way we were raised, I guess," he shrugged.

"Oh, no, it's not," she laughed. "I've heard your mother's portrait. You were raised to use much fouler language than 'Merlin's Pants'."

"I'm assuming that if I talk like my mother you'll walk out of here by yourself and I'll get thrown out of here for being a nutter."

"If they're throwing people out for being a nutter you'd be gone by now," she smirked.

"Hey!" he growled, lifting her up as she playfully shrieked. He walked her through the building until he deposited her by the racing bikes.

"You had your slaughter," she groaned. "Must you humiliate me further by pointing out what a bad motorcycle driver I'd be?"

"Consider it your first lesson," he said, sitting astride one of the bikes.

"I don't think you can teach me everything I need to know on a couple of fake bikes that don't tip all the way over."

"True. But I can teach you some stuff. Hop on. Or do I need to find you a helmet? I'd think Harry was the accident prone one, but if you don't feel safe on a game I could go fetch your helmet."

"Quiet, Black," she rolled her eyes as she climbed on the second bike. He leaned over and taught her the controls, which were, he assured, somewhat accurate. His hands kept brushing hers, and once he even placed them gently on her waist to show how far she should lean into a gentle curve. It became hard for her to focus as she became more and more distracted by his every touch.

"Don't lean too far into the turns, or you won't be able to recover," he said finally, depositing some coins and selecting a track.

_Crap_, she thought to herself as she straightened up and waited for the start of the race. _Is this one the throttle, no, that's the brake, I think..._

Sirius had his second easy victory of the night, as Hermione spent most of the game crashing into walls from either leaning too far into the turns or not far enough. He helped her off the bike and they headed towards the back of the arcade where there was a small concession stand. He bought them each an ice cream cone and they sat at a table.

"Are you having fun?" he asked, and she could almost hear a slight edge in his voice.

"Loads," she nodded. It was the truth. She never thought playing video games was this much fun, but now she was considering getting herself a console when she returned to England.

"How are my chances?" he asked.

"What?" she asked instinctively. Her stomach dropped. She liked Sirius, but how much was he expecting from her on their first date?

"For a second date, love," he finished with a smile.

"Oh," she said, visibly relaxing. "Very good."

"Excellent," he smiled, gazing around the room. "It feels so... _normal_, doesn't it?"

She nodded. For the first time in a long time things felt natural to her. No looking over her shoulder, no wands, no Magic of any kind here. Just fun.

He stood, offered her his arm, and led her out of the arcade. They hopped on the bike, and before she knew it (and before she would have liked) they were getting off back at the hotel. They rode the elevator back, hand in hand, and he walked her to the door to her room.

"This is where I say goodnight, love," he smiled, brushing her hair back.

She wanted to protest, to say that they could stay up later playing video games on the console in the room, but his lips were on hers and her thoughts went out the window. His hands touched her face softly, each finger leaving a warm trail against her skin. Too soon he broke the kiss and started for his own door. She went into her own room and sank onto the bed, smiling.


	10. Future

**A/N: Thank you to all those who have reviewed so far. Like it or hate it please leave a review.**

**BTW: the reference is to the book The Innocent Manby John Grisham. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.**

She awoke the next morning feeling excited and refreshed. She took her time getting out of the bed, stretching several times, and eventually made her way out into the common room. She looked around, but Sirius was either not there or still sleeping. She moved to open a few windows to catch a breeze when she noticed a large bouquet of flowers sitting on the table. Nestled in the blooms was a note. She quickly reached for it and tore it open.

_Morning, love. I'm off for the morning, I'll probably be back to catch a late lunch. Enjoy yourself. See you soon. Sirius_

She felt her heart flutter a little as she looked at his scrawled name. She had never really been on a 'date' before. She went to parties and dances with Viktor and Cormac, but nothing that was just one on one, unless you count sitting by the lake trying to decipher what Krum was saying as a 'date'. She had loved the arcade (the kissing wasn't bad either), and was looking forward to finding something new to do with Sirius.

Knowing that she had a lot of time by herself and figuring that she had nothing better to do she started the hot tub up so it would be warm and went to her room to find a swimsuit. When she had been shopping the other day she picked up a cute two-piece, and figuring she had nothing better to do, she slipped into it. She could be dressed in normal clothes long before Sirius returned. She grabbed her book and headed onto the patio. The water was warm when she slid in, and she took a moment to relax in the swirling jets.

After a few minutes of enjoying the relaxing sensation she opened the book. She had deliberately stayed away form anything that mentioned magic, the novel she was reading had come recommended by her mother. Jane Granger had adopted a 'the less I know, the better' attitude when it came to reading about the magical world after coming across a book called 'Great Wizarding Battles of the Last Two Centuries'.

As was often the case when she got into her reading, she lost track of time. She thought she had only been engrossed in the book only a few minutes when someone touched her shoulder.

"I thought I'd come back to you reading, I never thought it would involve a sexy two piece and a hot tub," Sirius smirked at her.

"Give a girl some warning!" she responded, splashing him playfully.

"I'm never giving you some warning if this is what I get to see. In fact, I'll probably lie and tell you I'll be back later than I intend."

"I'll know to expect it, then," she smiled as she rolled her eyes and marked her place in her book. She placed it on a small table by the side of the hot tub.

"The Innocent Man," Sirius read the title, holding up the book.

"It's pretty intense," Hermione said. "It's about two men who were sent to prison for something they didn't do. One of them almost got executed. People were so concerned about getting them convicted they didn't care how unfair their trials were."

"At least they got trials," Sirius murmured bitterly.

"Would you have testified had there been a trial for you?"

"What was there to gain from testifying? The only person who truly knew what happened was declared dead. If they hadn't thought I was nutters they might have thought the Kiss was in order."

Hermione placed her hand in his. "What happened to you was awful."

"What was awful was that I put you and Harry into so much danger. I could have gotten you guys hurt or killed."

"It was our choice."

"You were kids."

"Is that how you see me?"

"Not anymore," he muttered, leaning forward to kiss her. "I see you as a beautiful, intelligent seductress in what has quickly become my favorite bathing suit."

She laughed. "Want to join me?"

He took her hand an examined it. "Your mind says 'yes', but your body says 'get me out of here before I become more wrinkled than Dumbledore'."

She splashed him playfully again as she climbed out of the hot tub. He stood and grabbed her towel.

"Give it here," she swiped for it. "It's not as warm as you think it is."

"All the better," he muttered, glancing at her chest.

She grabbed her wand and muttered "_Accio_." The towel flew from Sirius' grip and into hers. She wrapped it around herself and walked back into the room. "I must have been really engrossed in my book," she muttered as she noticed that not only had Sirius brought lunch, he had it spread out on the table.

"I dropped a glass and swore pretty loudly, I thought you would come in soon after."

She disappeared into her room long enough to change into jeans and a t-shirt. "So, where were you all morning?"

"Out."

"Thank you King of the Obvious."

"I was doing something that has something to do with you, but that you can't know about just yet."

"Do you enjoy driving me mad with your riddles?"

"No, because that wasn't a riddle. I'm not talking until I'm good and ready."

"Ugh," she said sliding into a chair at the table. "Why can't you be normal for once?"

"The question would be, where to next?"

"Any ideas?"

"Are we playing the questions game?"

She smiled at him. "Would you like to play the questions game?"

"Not really. But you seemed to be having fun."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile at the Marauder. "I'll repeat, any ideas?"

"There is something I always wanted to try."

"We'll do that, then."

"You don't know what it is."

"I don't need to know. I didn't know about the arcade and I had loads of fun there, so I figure that anything you want to do is good by me."

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?"

"I haven't had the opportunity to do anything spontaneously fun in a long while. I have the right to run off with a handsome man and trust his judgment more than I should."

"Merlin bless you, Hermione Granger," Sirius said proudly, hand on his heart. "Spoken like the true girlfriend of a Marauder."

Later that day they walked about a mile from the hotel, where they came across a quaint little shop nestled between a bookstore and a coffee shop.

"You always wanted to go get a psychic reading?" Hermione laughed, looking at the signs.

"Why not? They can't be any worse than Trelawney."

"I'd be willing to bet on that. At least she's made a few real prophecies in her day."

"And I'm sure this lady has gotten it right a few times."

"Good enough for me. Let's go."

They entered, and a girl no older than Hermione smiled at them. "Would you be Mr. Black?"

"Yes. Yes I would," Sirius smiled at her. She smiled back and made a show of bending over to reach for a phone. She dialed a number, eyes still glued to Sirius, and muttered to whoever was on the other end.

"Madame Ramsey is expecting you..." she smiled at Sirius.

Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Right back here." They were led to a small back room. A round table was set up with three chairs, two together and one across the way. The table was draped with a dark cloth adorned with small silver stars, a large crystal ball sitting in the middle. The walls had star charts and photos of Madame Ramsey with what must have been rich and famous clientele. A small bookshelf held an assortment of books about psychics and a variety of cards.

Sirius held Hermione's chair out for her before taking his own seat. Madame Ramsey appeared moments later, and Hermione had to bite her lip again. Save for the fact that her hair was deep brown the woman who emerged could have passed for Trelawney.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Black, Miss Grander..."

"Granger," Hermione corrected.

"Excuse me, Miss Granger. The inner eye gets cloudy about details of the now when it becomes focused on the future."

Hermione snorted. Sirius playfully nudged her in the ribs with his elbow.

"You come here looking for advice in the matter of your new-found romance?"

Sirius smiled. "Why not?"

She sat and started moving her hands over the crystal ball, which did nothing discernible to either of them. She muttered to herself, eyes closed, face turned skyward, for several minutes. She then asked for Sirius' palm.

"Your hands are rough, you have had hard work and trying times."

"They've been a dog," Sirius winked at Hermione.

"Many trials, many against you. Your life line is cut off short, but it returns strong. A very trying time, I'd say. You've never had love in the past, though you have had many opportunities. You're looking for the woman who would strengthen you from within."

She motioned for Hermione's palm, and she reluctantly gave it forward. "You, my dear," Madame Ramsey said after studying her hand. "You've seen much more than most at your young age. Your fate has been closely tied to those you are closest to for some time, but now you are in control of your own destiny. You want to find love, but you are reluctant to give up your freedom for anyone."

She consulted the crystal ball again as Hermione looked at the table. She had always thought that anything that dealt with Divination was bollocks, but either the woman knew more about her than what her hand told, or her palm was giving up more than she wanted.

"I see turbulent times in your relationship, especially revealing it to your loved ones. There is something you want to finish, my dear," she nodded towards Hermione, "that may be a sticking point. You need to understand why he'll want you around. You," she nodded to Sirius, "will have to be more open-minded in her hopes and desires. If you can work through these problematic times you will be able to stay together for a long time."

Sirius nodded, and they stood to leave. The receptionist gave him a card as they were walking out. He turned it over once they had gotten on the sidewalk, she had written her number on the back.

"I should go back there and curse her," Hermione took the card, ripped it up and threw it into the nearest garbage can.

"It's not worth it. She hangs around with that quack."

"What makes you think she's a quack?"

"Oh, I think she could read us pretty well. She knew we'd have a hard time breaking the news to our friends because of our age difference."

"That was just one of many things..."

"Alright, I'll break it down. She said your fate was tied with those closest to you. That might mean that you're close to your friends or parents, and you haven't been able to make the big decisions for yourself for all that long."

She looked at him skeptically.

"I mean that's typical for a woman your age. Yeah, you can decide where you go eat and all that, but your parents make the big decisions, and young people tend to make decisions based on what their friends and family think. She said you're reluctant to give up your new found freedom, but who is at your age? Then she said you'd make a decision about doing something that I wouldn't like, that you should understand me and that I should be open-minded about it. You're young, you're going to want to do new things with your life, I'm older and that usually means I'm more set in my ways and won't want to have to change my routine to do what you want to do. She knows how to read people and what to say to make you think that she is the real deal. As for me she saw the tattoos I got in Azkaban and immediately knew that I had been in a spot of trouble, and that I probably wasn't well liked."

Hermione nodded, and pointed to a cute outfit she wanted to try on in a shop window. As Sirius held the door for her she couldn't help but thinking that the psychic might have gotten something right.


	11. Confessions

**A/N: Sorry this took a while. Hermione's doing some not-very-Hermione things in this chappie, and I wanted it to sound plausible. And since I've been neglecting the quotes I have dropped a couple in.**

**As always, enjoy, and please shoot me a review.**

Hermione awoke a few days later to find Sirius was gone, again. She was used to it by now, he left early in the morning and returned either bearing lunch or ready to head out in search of nourishment at about half past noon. He was still steadfastly refusing to tell her anything about what was going on, only that 'you'll find out soon enough'. She wasn't worried about it, he certainly was attentive enough when he returned, and didn't complain when she ventured out to shop by herself.

It was on her latest trip out that she had picked herself up a new laptop. Since it was raining lightly outside the hot tub was out of the question she was lounging across the couch, laptop connected to the internet, searching for something very specific. She had been researching for about two hours and it was getting close to when Sirius would return. She had to make a choice now.

"See you at four-thirty," she smiled into the phone as Sirius walked into the room. "Goodbye."

"Your other boyfriend?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She smiled at him, closing the laptop before he had a chance to see the screen. "Not quite. Just setting up an appointment."

"Male prostitute?"

She threw a pillow at him, and they laughed for a moment together. Sirius busied himself setting out lunch and didn't press the issue further, at least until they sat down.

"Spa afternoon?" he asked as she twisted some pasta around her fork.

"No," she answered, offering no other explanation.

"What are you up to?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not telling you, you'll try to talk me out of it."

He dropped his fork. "That bad?"

"Something I've been thinking about doing for a little while," she smiled at him.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" he sighed, looking at his food.

"Now I have one of those secrets, kind of like you."

"Is it something that needs done by yourself, or do you mind if I tag along?"

"You can come," she smiled, taking his hand. "Did you have fun this morning?"

"Loads," he gave his usual answer. "I'm going to be done at the end of the week. Then you'll get to figure out what I've been up to."

She looked excited, but didn't feel the need to press her luck. She could wait until the end of the week to figure out what Sirius was up to.

Suddenly his lips were on hers in a passionate kiss. His hands held her firmly to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself into the unexpected affection. They kissed for several moments, then before she knew it Sirius was back in his seat, a bite of food halfway to his mouth.

"What was that for?" she asked, biting her lip and smoothing her hair.

He shrugged and smiled at her. "You just look so damn cute when you're excited about something."

She blushed, prompting another round of kissing because she looked cute while embarrassed. They managed to make it through the rest of the meal without anymore make-out interruptions, but they had a few close calls when Hermione managed to drop pasta sauce on her blouse and looked as if she wanted to crawl into the wall.

They played video games until quarter until four, when Hermione went into her room to change quickly. She emerged wearing a large zippered hoodie and announced it was time to go. She led them through streets as if she knew where she was going, and eventually they came to a halt in front of a tattoo parlor.

"You're joking!" Sirius said as she bravely opened the door.

"Obviously not," Hermione said, walking inside.

Sirius hurried after her as a woman with blue hair, tattoos covering her arms, and a lip ring greeted Hermione warmly.

"Your boy?" the woman asked, eying Sirius.

"Yes," Hermione said, looking back at him with a smile.

"Who did your art?" the woman asked, pointing to his tattoos showing through the unbuttoned top of his shirt.

"I did them myself," Sirius muttered.

"Wow," the woman said, sounding impressed.

"Bloody Azkaban," Sirius murmured as the woman led them back to a private stall.

"So you're sure about what you saw online?" she asked Hermione, showing her everything she had ready.

"Yes," Hermione said, shedding her hoodie and hanging it up on a hook by the door. Underneath she was wearing a halter top.

"A phoenix rising from the flames. I loved this one," the woman smiled at her and started getting things ready.

"I thought it was in _order_," Hermione winked at Sirius.

"Are you sure about this?" Sirius said as Hermione sat on the chair backwards.

"Yes, I am," Hermione said, motioning for him to sit on a stool facing her. He took his place, still looking at her skeptically. "Now hold my hands so I don't sissy out."

He chuckled and took her hands as the woman placed the transfer onto her shoulder.

"I can't believe you're doing this. And a phoenix of all things."

"Well it's not like everything else I've been doing would fit on my back, and would you want Harry and Ron's mugs on your shoulder?"

Sirius made a face, but returned to smiling at her. "I never thought you would have gotten a tattoo, 'Mione. You seem so straight-laced."

"Everyone assumes that because of what I was like at Hogwarts. If I didn't have a bit of a streak in me do you think I ever would have been friends with Harry and Ron as long as I have been?"

"Touché."

"Are you ready?" the woman asked.

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. She winced as the needle touched her skin.

"Deep breaths, love," Sirius kissed her forehead in support. "If you stop now you're going to have an ugly blob."

"How did you do this to yourself?" Hermione grimaced.

"It's easier when you're using physical pain to detract from emotional," Sirius murmured.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, rubbing his hand.

"But we're focusing on Hermione Granger's newest insane idea. And this one wasn't even supplied by anyone with the last name of 'Weasley'."

"George was talking about getting a tattoo of Fred," Hermione liked talking. It was distracting herself from her instinct to wince away from the pain in her shoulder.

"That wouldn't seem narcissistic at all," Sirius rolled her eyes. "Anyone who doesn't know he had a twin would think he got a tattoo of himself."

"He thinks that would be funny."

"Leave it to George to find something like that bloody entertaining. Though I can't talk badly of him. He and Fred took the work James and I left and brought it up to the next level."

"Harry ever tell you about how they got rid of Umbridge?"

"Yes," Sirius laughed. "And I tip my hat forever to them for that. That woman was... I'm not going to say it in mixed company."

"Like I've never heard you say any bad words, Sirius Black."

"My mother would have my neck if she found out I was swearing around women," Sirius looked falsely horrified.

Hermione chuckled, making careful to move her shoulder as little as possible. "I'd think if your mother found out you were dating me the last thing you would have to worry about is your language around me."

"Right now she'd probably kiss your ass because you're famous and important. But as soon as you're even a millimeter out of the spotlight she'd be back to calling you all sorts of colorful names."

"Hence why it'd be hilarious if she chewed you out for using bad language."

"Aw, you love my mother."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She'd be great for a laugh."

Sirius looked shocked.

"I'm serious. If you just let her loose on someone walking by with a hangover I bet it'd be a million laughs."

Sirius chuckled. "Too bad most of the time the person walking by with a hangover would be me."

"Well, I'll just have to try it sometime," Hermione smirked at him.

He studied her face. "Have you given any thought to going to find your parents?"

"I was going to start looking them up on the internet tomorrow," Hermione muttered. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Do you think it best to pile so much onto your parents at once?"

"It's a lot, but maybe it's one of those band-aid things. It's better to deal with it all at once."

"Oh, yeah. Lumping 'I'm alive and here's all my adventures that almost killed me in the last year' with 'here's my ex-con boyfriend' is certain to make your parents happy."

Hermione smirked.

"What?" Sirius looked surprised.

"You're nervous about meeting my parents," she said matter-of-factly.

"I am not!" he protested weakly.

"You are," she smiled. "Sirius Black, afraid to meet a girl's parents."

"Bloody hell, Hermione," he muttered. "I'm probably not exactly a parent's dream."

"But you are," Hermione gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Once you get past the exterior."

"And the age thing," he grumbled.

"Lots of young girls fall for older men."

"Not all the older men spent twelve years in Azkaban," he pointed out.

"Wrongfully convicted without trial. I told them about that already, they were outraged. They were hoping there was a way you'd be compensated for years in that horrible place and on the run."

"I don't want them to approve of me out of pity," he sighed.

"They won't. They'll judge you like every other guy I've brought home."

"How many have there been?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Viktor. He swung by for a visit when he was in the country playing Quidditch once. They got the impression he thought we were more than what we were, and told me I needed to let him down gently."

"Did you?"

She blushed. "Not really. I never really let him down. I think he got the idea after we only corresponded by owl for a while. Last I heard he was dating a girl on the Harpies."

"So have you ever had a real boyfriend?" Sirius smiled.

"Have you ever had a real girlfriend?" she shot back, annoyed.

"Seven. You?" he answered, amused.

"Just Viktor. If you can count that," she muttered.

He looked at her, but said nothing.

"I know what you're wondering. You first."

"Nine. Six of the seven and three one-night stands."

"One," she muttered, looking down.

"Viktor?" he asked, looking as if he were doing the math in his head.

She shook her head enthusiastically.

"Ron," he said with complete certainty in his voice.

She shook her head slowly.

"Complete stranger?" he asked in surprise.

"**The problem with sleeping with strangers is... they're strange**," she muttered.

"I give up," he leaned forward in anticipation.

"Harry," she whispered back, almost inaudibly.

He started coughing violently, as if choking on air. She turned bright red.

"I shouldn't have said anything," she muttered angrily.

"It's OK," he said, looking as if he were suppressing a smile. "You're a grown woman, you're allowed to make grown woman decisions."

"That's not going to weird you out?" she looked into his eyes.

"It was a shock, but no, it's not weird," he assured her, running his hands through her hair before leaning forward to kiss her. "How are you holding up, love?" he asked, craning his neck to see how her tattoo was going.

"It hurts, but it's not the worst I've felt."

He growled, knowing he was talking about his least favorite cousin.

"Does it look okay?" she asked.

He stood long enough to take a good look at the phoenix. "It looks great, and it's almost over."

"Thank goodness. I have to pee like you wouldn't believe."

He smirked and leaned forward to tickle her.

"**Better be careful**," she hissed before his fingers had a chance to touch her. "**I have a full bladder and I'm not afraid to use it**."

His laughter filled the shop.


	12. Secret Revealed

**A/N: OK, everyone. This story is rated 'M' for a reason, and that reason lies in chapters such as this one. If adult situations make you uncomfortable, this isn't the chapter for you. Sorry. **

**As always, enjoy and please review.**

The pain from the tattoo was taken care of with a pain potion the moment she entered the hotel room, and she was pleased two days later when the swelling went down. It was just what she had hoped for. She could picture Ron and Harry's reactions, Harry would think it was cool, Ron would think she was insane. She smirked as she vividly pictured the look on Ron's face and happily downed the rest of her pancakes. As was the norm recently Sirius was out doing what he wouldn't tell her about, and she was fine being alone this morning. She really wanted to pin down her parent's location.

She booted up her computer, and waited for it to connect to the Internet. The moment she could she got on a search engine and typed in 'Wendell Wilkins dentist'. Without any delay the search engine promptly displayed the location of his new practice in Brisbane, along with his wife Monica. She scribbled the name on a piece of paper and, thinking she had nothing better to do, left the hotel.

She flagged down a taxi and climbed in. The taxi driver knew the area the office was in well, and drove in silence towards it. Hermione concentrated on the directions, quickly jotting each turn onto the piece of paper so she could return without needing a taxi. The ride was short, about twenty minutes, and she tipped the cabbie generously before exiting.

The office was inviting from the outside. It had been converted from a small house, and had all the appeal of walking into a good neighbors' home. The outside was neatly landscaped, the parking lot clean and well-maintained. The exterior was painted a soft, calming blue, with white accents. If it wasn't for the large sign sitting in the yard one might never think this was a place of business.

She walked carefully around the building, trying not to attract attention from anyone in the area. Around the back was a section labeled 'employee parking' which was three spots large. One of those spots was labeled 'Reserved for Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Wilkins'. She stared at the little red coupe in the spot for a moment, memorizing the plate number so she could write it down when out of sight.

She sat in the park across from the office for a while, pretending to read but staring at it out of the corner of her eye. She was close, so very close. She could do it the moment they walked out of the building for lunch, they always went to lunch together. Jump out of a bush, two quick spells and they'd recognize the woman standing in front of them. But she decided against that course of action. She had waited for so long to see them again, a little while longer wouldn't hurt.

At twelve on the dot they emerged from the back door, and her heart skipped a beat. They were smiling and holding hands. They were happy, and from her vantage point she couldn't see any harm done to them. Her trick had worked, they were safe.

Reassured in this fact she walked towards a busier street nearby, stopping in a small cafe to get a coffee to go, and hailed another taxi. She returned to the hotel and made her way back to the room she was sharing with Sirius.

"Out and about this morning, love?" his voice greeted her from the couch as she entered.

"I tracked down my parents," she replied, sitting next to him. He absentmindedly entwined his fingers with hers.

"I'm assuming you didn't lift the spell, or you wouldn't be back here so early," he smiled at her.

"I didn't, but I have enough information that we can find out where they live and go do that tomorrow or the next day."

He suddenly looked nervous. "So soon? We still have a week left here."

"I wasn't planning on showing up on their doorstep laden with baggage."

He sighed. "I guess you're right."

"You don't have to go with me," she pointed out.

"I want to. To support you."

She smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. "How was your morning?"

"It was good. I'm done with what I was doing, so I guess I can tell you now," he grinned mischievously.

"That look makes me nervous," she looked back at him. "Should I be afraid?"

"No, but I will tell you that if I cross a line at any time don't be afraid to tell me," he replied, standing.

Nervously she stood and followed him towards his room. He opened the door and stood back for her. She gasped in shock.

The room was lit by dozens of flickering candles. It smelled sweet, the aroma calmed her the moment it reached her nostrils. Soft music played from a CD player. Instead of a bed there was a massage table in the middle of the room.

"You've been taking massage classes?" she turned to look at him.

"You mentioned that it really helped relieve your stress. I thought a quickie course might be in order."

She walked over and ran her hand over the table.

"Time to get naked, love," he smirked.

"What?" she asked, blushing furiously.

He handed her a blanket. "Cover anything you don't want me to see."

_And if I want you to see it all?_ her brain asked sensually. She immediately dismissed the thought, but not without turning a brighter shade of red. Sirius stepped out of the room, and she slowly got undressed, folding each article of clothing carefully. _I'm insane... I'm insane..._ she kept repeating to herself, but that didn't stop her from stripping. She wrapped the blanket around her ass, making a short skirt in the front, and laid on her stomach on the table.

"Ready, love?" Sirius knocked on the door.

"As I'll ever be," she took a deep breath.

He moved to her side and started rubbing her shoulders. She tensed at first, nervous at his touch, but very quickly she relaxed. He was as good as the woman she had gone to at the spa, and she quickly started losing herself in the atmosphere.

"How are you feeling, 'Mione?" he asked, a hint of apprehension in his voice.

"It feels wonderful," she breathed, then sighed loudly as he worked out a tense spot near her spine.

"This is all for you, love. Just tell me if you need anything."

"I need you to keep going," she whispered, feeling the fire start to smolder again. It embarrassed her, there was no hiding her excitement with the short blanket. But if he noticed he didn't say anything.

His hands worked over her back, and she lost track of time. A few times she flirted with unconsciousness, her body was so relaxed, but her brain screaming 'this is Sirius' brought her back. Her thoughts seemed to fly away as his hands worked lower and lower. Just when she was starting to tense at how low he was going he abandoned her back and started working on her legs, from the bottom up. She was able to relax a while longer before he started getting close to her nervousness zone again.

But again he seemed to sense when he was getting too close, and he stopped rubbing her legs and moved so his fingers were running across her scalp. She let out another loud sigh.

"I'm rather liking the noises you're making, love," he chuckled.

"The noises or the fact that you're the one eliciting them?" she replied.

"A little bit of both."

He leaned forward and kissed her shoulder. He didn't know it, but her skin felt warm where his lips had touched. He moved over an inch and kissed her again. Soon he was trailing kisses all over her back, wisps of his hair trailing, each touch warming her skin and stirring the fire. She was on the verge of begging for more when he straightened up.

"Anything else you want me to work on, love?" he asked.

_Everything else!_ her brain screamed, but she shook her head. He smiled as he left the room. She took her time sitting up, hoping the fire would quench itself, but it refused to die. Her hand wandered between her leg, she started working herself, something quick to stop the flames before she walked out into the other room and faced him. She closed her eyes, and his face swam in front of her as her fingers ran over herself.

As much as she touched herself, she could not bring herself to climax. Whenever she got close she heard his voice in her head, or smelled his scent, or felt his touch. It was too much to bear. She _needed_ him.

She stood and wrapped the blanket so it covered her. She moved to the door and opened it a crack.

"Sirius?" she called meekly, her face a bright scarlet.

"Yes, love?" he asked, not looking up from his book.

She took a deep breath. "Can you come in here?"

His book dropped and he looked up at her in shock. "Are you sure?" He had smelled her, he knew his motions were exciting her, but he didn't expect his.

She nodded. He stood and hurried into the room, wrapping his arms around her as she held the blanket to herself. His lips crashed into hers, his tongue demanding entry into her mouth, and she quickly agreed. He explored the inside of her mouth, hands running over her body. She moaned and leaned into him.

He lifted her up, and deposited her onto a bed, which was sitting where the massage table had been minutes before. He continued to kiss her, hand cupping her ass while she had a death grip on his shirt with one hand. A few moments later her moved his hand to her other hand, which was still clutching the blanket around her. Slowly she released her grip on the fabric, and he pushed it away from her body.

"Damn, 'Mione, you're beautiful," he growled, gazing over her body.

She blushed, and pulled him back in for another round of passionate kisses. His lips left hers, and started moving down her body slowly. She moaned and arched her back as he gently sucked on a nipple, his hand gently massaging her other breast.

"Sirius," she groaned, the fire becoming an inferno.

"Patience, love," he smirked up at her, but she didn't want patience. She reached between her legs with her hand, but he grasped it and shoved it over her head. He replaced her hand with his, and earned himself another loud moan. He worked her slowly, his mouth still exploring her body, as she grasped at the pillow under her head. She lost herself in the feeling of his rough hand working her spot that she groaned in displeasure as it left her, only to be followed by a louder moan of pleasure as his tongue replaced it.

"Oh, Sirius!" she cried, back arching, pressing herself into him, begging him to put out the inferno.

"Patience," he repeated, tongue tasting her, slowly moving over her, exploring every inch he wanted to and savoring her smell and taste. She bit her lip as she felt her knees going weak, and her eyes shut as she concentrated on the feeling of him between her legs.

As he started moving faster he pushed a finger inside her, and she gasped. He slowed, knowing that she was close to climaxing at the feeling, and wanting to extend the pleasure longer. As her breathing slowed he started working her again, but he slowed again as another finger joined the first.

"Please, Sirius!" she begged as the movement of his tongue and fingers brought her close to climax yet again.

"Please what, love?" he asked, slowing and causing her to stop writhing.

"I need you," she whispered. "I need you inside me."

He didn't respond, just returned to working her with his tongue and fingers. Her knuckles were white as she grasped the blanket, she felt herself tightening and, with a loud moan she felt her climax shoot through her body, tightening all the muscles then leaving a tingling sensation washing over her body.

He was next to her again, kissing her lips lightly as her breathing returned to normal.

"What about you?" she whispered.

"All in good time, love. Today was about you," he replied, leaning down to kiss her again.

"I rather like me days," she smiled.


	13. No going back

**A/N: I feel in a smutty-type mood, so you get a little more in this chapter. As always, enjoy and please leave a review.**

She awoke slowly the next morning feeling his cool skin against hers. Sometime during the night he had slipped her old pajama bottoms and a tank-top on her, had donned his pajama bottoms and taken off his shirt. His chest rose and fell in a predictable rhythm, his arm wrapped around her, a few stray strands of his hair falling into her face. She lightly traced the tattoos on his chest.

Why wouldn't he sleep with her? She wanted to, she had invited him in, and while he made sure she was pleasured he got up afterwards and disappeared into the bathroom. He returned a while later, took her still-naked form in his arms, and insisted that they go to sleep.

Was there something wrong with her? He never failed to call her beautiful, he called her 'love' more often than he used to, though she couldn't shake the feeling it was nothing more than a pet name. He had, after all, called her that before they were going out.

Carefully, making sure not to wake him, she slid out of his arms and crept out of the room. She hurried into her room and decided that a shower was in order. She got a fresh towel, slipped out of her pajamas, and stepped into the warm water.

Perhaps Sirius wasn't interested, but if he wasn't he was putting on a hell of an act. She decided that it wasn't going to worry her that he hadn't slept with her the night before. He had held her throughout the night, that had to count for something. He had to have his reasons.

He woke up as she was slipping out of the bed, but he continued to keep his eyes closed and pretended to sleep. Hopefully he'd be able to go back to sleep. He had been up half the night, Hermione cradled in his arms, thinking about what he had done. Or, rather, what he hadn't done.

This had been the first time he hadn't slept with a woman who was offering herself to him. Merlin knew he wanted to, but for some reason he told himself it wasn't right. He wanted her happy, he wanted her pleased with him, but he wasn't ready to sleep with her yet. She meant more to him than those other women. He wanted to be completely sure of himself, and he wanted to know that she would never regret sleeping with him.

_And you're terrified of Harry hexing you into last week if he found out you slept with her so quickly_, his brain murmured. It was true, things would be tense enough when they informed Harry and Ron of their relationship, it would only be worse if Harry thought he had taken advantage of Hermione in any way. And there was the other, more nagging barrier. She had slept with Harry. She didn't mention the circumstances, but it was a fair guess that neither one entered into that relationship lightly. What exactly had led to them to have sex? Would Harry be jealous of their relationship when he found out about it? He needed things cleared up before he could go all the way with Hermione with a clear conscience.

Resolving to have a difficult conversation with her as soon as he was fully rested he rolled over and fell back asleep.

* * *

He found her lounging in the hot tub, reading a book.

"Morning, sunshine," she smiled, closing the book and placing it on a table out of dripping range. "Or should I say afternoon?"

"Either one," he murmured, bending over to kiss her. "We need to talk," he sat on the step into the tub, staring into her eyes. She shifted so she was sitting close to him, back to him, staring into the water.

"About last night?" she sighed.

"Yes," he placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "You have to know how much I want you, Hermione."

"I was a little unsure," she said truthfully. "If you want me that bad why didn't you have me?"

He ran a hand through her hair. "I think more of you than that."

She turned to look at him quizzically.

"I feared you had gotten caught up in the moment. I feared that you would wake up this morning regretting what we had done."

"What makes you think that I would regret a thing?" she muttered, leaning forward to press her lips to his hand.

"Because there are so many things to take into consideration before we get into a sexual relationship," he sighed, fighting the urge to let his mind wander to dirtier places.

"Such as...?"

"The age difference."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that I would start a relationship with you had I been worried about you being twenty years older than me?"

"No," he sighed.

"There's something else, isn't there?" she mumbled after a few moments silence.

"It's Harry," he replied softly.

"There's nothing between Harry and I. We slept together once, are under the knowledge that it'll never happen again," she crossed her arms.

He stared at her, not willing to push it any further.

She sighed. "Ron had left. It was Christmas. All we had was each other. One thing led to another and we had sex. We were entitled to a happy Christmas like everyone else, right?"

"I like your idea of a happy Christmas," he smirked.

"You have over five months left, if you really want to wait that long," she replied, moving so the top of the bikini was obviously visible.

He growled, then leaned forward to kiss her. When his lips were an inch from hers she suddenly splashed him with both hands, soaking the front of his shirt.

"You little..." he started towards her with a dangerous grin across his face. She playfully screamed and pushed herself to the other side of the tub where she sat, giggling. "My, my," he smirked, "you are in trouble."

She burst out laughing.

"What, pray tell, is so funny?"

"I... can't... tell..." she managed between giggles. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and looked directly in his eyes before finishing, "if you sound more like Filch or Snape." She tried to look innocent as she said it.

"Now you've done it, witch," he growled, throwing his shirt off and getting into the tub while still wearing his pajama pants. He grabbed her wrists and held them to the side of the tub while furiously kissing her neck. As he spoke he punctuated each word with another kiss, moving lower on her body, "Don't. Ever. Compare. Me. To. Snivellous."

"I won't, I won't!" she shrieked playfully as he nipped her shoulder.

His hands rested on either side of her as he rested over her, staring down into her face. She smiled up at him, studying him back for a few moments before splashing him again.

"I warned you," he growled before bending down to give her a bruising kiss. She reached up and wrapped her arms around him, pulling her body up to meet his. Water dripped from his hair, cutting smooth lines down her face as they continued to kiss each other.

His hands fumbled for the tie in the back of her bikini top, and it was quickly torn from her body and cast aside. He pressed himself to her, feeling her skin rubbing against his, smelling her getting excited even through the water their bodies were mostly submerged in.

His kisses moved lower and lower until his nose was touching water with each caress. His hands ran over her breasts, twirling over her nipple with a rough thumb. She moaned and sunk further into the water as her legs began to become weak.

He lifted her back up and positioned himself between her legs. She could feel him pressing against her through the soaked pajama pants, and she moved her hips to rub against him. He groaned and pressed her so hard against the side of the tub she was unable to move.

"Do you want me?" she breathed into his ear.

"Yes," he growled, no hesitancy in his voice.

"Then take me," she pleaded.

She felt him roughly push off her bottoms, then struggle out of his. He pressed against her opening, then slowly slid himself inside her.

She whimpered slightly. He was larger than Harry had been, and it was slightly uncomfortable. He moved slowly, and discomfort was quickly replaced with pleasure. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed herself into him, wanting as much of him as she could have. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, feeling his hair brushing against her cheeks, feeling his breath hot on her neck, one of his hands holding her to him. Had it not been for the feeling of the side of the tub across the back of her shoulders she would have lost all sense of which was the right way up.

His lips roamed over her, tasting as much as he could. Each small noise she made was amplified in his ears, and each time she made one he craved to hear the next. He controlled himself, he wanted the feeling of her wrapped around him to last as long as possible.

"Sirius," she moaned as he sped up. Her hand clawed at his back, the other wrapped itself firmly in his hair. She pushed her breasts towards him, and he lowered his mouth eagerly to them. His arm was getting sore from supporting them both against the side of the tub, but he didn't dare let go.

Her fingers raked his back again as she started to clench around him. Her chest rose and fell unevenly and she moaned his name again as she climaxed. Her tightening around him brought him to his own climax, and he collapsed against her, moaning into her hair. He stayed pressed to her for a few moments, not wanting their closeness to end, but eventually moved to sit next to her. She cuddled herself up next to him and rested her head on his chest as their breathing slowly returned to normal.

"No regrets?" she muttered.

"Not a damn one. You?" he murmured into her ear.

She shook her head. They continued to sit, arms around each other, for a few minutes until the timer on the tub went off and the jets slowed to a halt.

"About your parents..." he started, summoning two towels from the room. They climbed out of the tub into the cool air.

"Oh, no, you don't, Sirius Black," she wrapped the towel around her, then placed her hands on her hips. "You can do that to me a million times, you're still going to have to go meet my parents at some point."

"I was thinking maybe tomorrow would be a good day," he smiled at her as they walked into the common room together.

"Really?" she spun to look into his eyes.

"That would give us a couple days left to re-book the room if they don't want _us_ to stay with them, or if they don't have the room." His '_us_' gave the distinct impression of '_me_', but she let it slide. "Does that sound good to you?"

She answered by throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him fiercely.


	14. Lifting the spell

**A/N: I know, I know. I let this go a week. I shouldn't have. Bad me, I'll try to be better in the future. Though no promises quite yet. Holiday weekend and all that.**

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. You guys/gals are awesome! There is one quote in here, from House.**

**As always, enjoy and please leave me a review.**

Her fingers drummed against the leather of his jacket impatiently.

"Nervous, love?" he chuckled. They were sitting astride his bike in the park across from the Wilkins's dental office. The place shut down fifteen minutes prior, the last patient had left five minutes after that, all the other staff five minutes later. They were now waiting for the dentists to emerge so they could follow them to their home.

"Wouldn't you be?" she returned.

"No. If my charming mother had lost her memory of me and everything to do with her family I'd relish the peace and quiet for once."

She laughed, pressing herself against him. She breathed in the scent of the leather and smiled to herself.

"There they are," he muttered as two figures emerged from the back of the building and hurried to their car. Sirius coaxed the bike to life, waited for the car to pull onto the road, and followed far enough back to not arouse suspicion.

She as fidgeting nervously behind him. She tensed a few times when she thought they had lost sight of the car, but Sirius tailed them like an expert. Ten minutes later they stopped at the end of a block and watched as Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins entered their white, two-story home situated between two that looked much like it.

"Ready?" he asked, giving Hermione's hand a quick squeeze.

He felt her take a deep breath, then nod. He slowly pulled the bike in front of their house, and they quickly jumped off and rushed to the front door. She rang the bell, and stood, wand at the ready.

The smiling, balding man opened the door curiously. "Can I help you?" he asked.

She waved her wand, performing a full body-bind curse. Her father went rigid, eyes wide in terror, as she advanced on him, waving her wand and muttering in a language Sirius had never heard before. He made a mental note to ask her about it later, and watched the inside of the house in case Mrs. Wilkins showed up prematurely. Which, unfortunately happened moments later.

"Wendell?" she asked coming around the corner.

Sirius swore, then muttered 'petrificus totalus'. Hermione's mother went rigid and toppled back into the living room. He swore again.

"Great, the first time I meet your parents, I curse them and give your mother a concussion," he muttered.

She chuckled between strange words. He closed the front door and turned to watch Hermione performing her counter curse. He watched in amazement as her father's eyes went from terror-struck, to confused, to sudden realization.

"Finished," she muttered. "I'm going to let you down now, dad."

"Hermione!" her father wrapped his arms around her while sobbing. "You're alive. You're safe. Does this mean...?"

"Yes. Voldemort is dead. I'll tell you all about it when I'm done reversing Mum."

"Of course, of course," he smiled at her before she moved towards the living room. The strange muttering resumed. That's when her father realized there was another wizard in the room.

"Hello," he muttered, looking over Sirius. "David Granger," he offered his hand.

"Sirius Black," Sirius grasped his hand and shook it. David's hand stayed where it was after Sirius had dropped his own.

"How can you be?" David whispered. "She told us you were dead."

"I was. For almost two years."

David looked him over again. "You look good for a corpse."

Sirius laughed. In the other room a woman shouted "Hermione!"

"That would be my wife," David strode away, Sirius followed him.

Jean Granger was hugging Hermione so tightly Sirius could swear his girlfriend's face was turning slightly blue. David joined his family hug, Sirius watching from the side, feeling a little saddened. He had been missed when he had fallen through the Veil, but his return seemed very much 'welcome back, please pass the potatoes, we have stories'. He had no children to hug tightly, no family to rejoice seeing again. Harry was the closest thing, and he seemed more like an honorary Weasley than a Black. He had fleeting visions of little bushy-haired Blacks, but came out of it by Hermione tugging him forward by his jacket sleeve.

"Mum, Dad, this is Sirius Black," she muttered, standing next to him looking very platonic.

This was no surprise to David, but Jean's hand flew to her mouth. "The same Sirius Black...?" she started.

"The one and only," Sirius smirked.

Hermione knocked him gently in the arm.

"How did you come back?"

"No idea," Sirius shook his head.

"We haven't really been thinking about it," Hermione said. "You see, the Final Battle was about a month ago, and..."

"I say we discuss everything over dinner," Sirius interrupted. "I'm sure you haven't eaten, Hermione's been such a wreck I haven't gotten her to eat today, and I'm relatively famished myself."

"I could cook something..." Jean started.

"I insist," he smiled. "Nothing wrecks a family reunion quite like a quarrel over who has to do the dishes. Take us to your favorite place, it's all on me."

"Oh, no, we couldn't..."

"Don't fight him, Mum," Hermione rolled her eyes. "God knows how much I tried to pay for my half of this little vacation."

"How long have you been in Australia?" David raised an eyebrow.

"Erm, about two and a half weeks," she said meekly.

"Another matter to be discussed over dinner," Sirius announced loudly. "Shall we?" he made a motion towards the door.

Hermione shot him a look as her parents led the way out of the house.

"Did you Apparate?" Jean asked, looking for a car and not seeing anything.

"No," Hermione betrayed their ride by glancing at the motorcycle.

"Hermione..." she started, eyeing the bike herself.

"She was always one for Apparation, but I'm lousy at it. No balance for it. So I insisted that I drive, and that's all I have for transportation," Sirius said loudly.

Hermione kept her parents talking about their dental practice until they got to the restaurant. Sirius sauntered up to the cute hostess, flirted a little, handed her a large tip, and they were seated in a private room in no time.

Once they had ordered and their soup course had come Jean had finally had enough of small talk.

"You need to tell me," she insisted, looking at Hermione.

She sighed, rolled her eyes, and picked up the tale from the moment she had tearfully modified their memories. Throughout their next three courses she talked about going on the run after Bill and Fleur's wedding, about their many months hunting for Horcruxes, Godric's Hallow, their capture and escape from Malfoy Manor, breaking into and out of Gringotts, and the Battle of Hogwarts.

Jean had looked horrified, angry, and saddened several times throughout the story, but she didn't interrupt. Hermione made sure that she insisted that Harry, Ron, and most of the Weasleys were fine. She wept openly as she told about Fred, Tonks, Lupin, and the other Order members they had lost. She finished the story by telling about how she found Sirius. Her voice was strained as she finally muttered, "and he booked us in a hotel and here we are."

"You're sharing a hotel room?" David asked, shooting an angry look at Sirius.

"A suite, dad," she sighed. "We each have our own room."

Jean and David visibly relaxed. Sirius exhaled as inconspicuously as he possibly could, thinking he had gotten off lightly for the night. The conversation paused while they were served dessert, but Hermione looked like she was itching to say something. He tried to catch her eye, tried to tell her without words that this wasn't the best time or place, but she seemed to be purposefully avoiding his eye.

"There is something we need to tell you," she muttered, grasping Sirius' hand under the table.

He sighed, trying to look as mature as possible.

"Sirius and I are somewhat of an item," she announced.

Jean's spoon clattered to her plate. David slowly placed his down.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked, very seriously looking at his daughter.

"Not very long," Hermione retorted, looking directly back at him. It was obvious where she got her resolve from as she and her father stared each other down.

"What led to this decision?"

"Affairs of the heart are not easily explained," she rolled her eyes.

"How serious is it?" Jean asked quietly.

"He's in the room, mother," Hermione snapped back. "I'm not going to divulge what I may or may not be doing with him to you. I thought I'd give you the courtesy of letting you know that I am in a relationship."

Sirius stared at his half-eaten cheesecake, face bright red.

"How old are you?" Jean turned towards him.

"That depends on whether or not I aged in the Veil."

Jean sighed. "If this is your choice, Hermione, your father and I wish you much luck. I just want to make sure you're making the right choice, that you're happy.** If you get married at twenty, you're going to be shocked who you're living with at thirty**. I'm just concerned. I am your mother, after all, and that's all I want."

"I _am_ happy, mother," she smiled as Sirius motioned for the bill. "I'm a big girl, I can make my own decisions."

"I know. But I just got you back. I don't want to lose you again."


	15. Feeling

**A/N: I'll admit. I've been a bad updater. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with this after the previous chapter. I've been mulling this chapter since then. Hopefully you like it.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and all you following for your patience. I'll try to be better, I promise.**

**As always, enjoy and please review.**

After dinner Mr. and Mrs. Granger invited Hermione and Sirius back to their house. The car was quiet on the way back from the restaurant, and it was even more quiet as they sat in the sitting room. David offered Sirius some whisky, and Sirius declined in favor of coffee. He thought his drinking habits were a discussion best left for another night.

"So, what do you do, Mr. Black?" Jean finally asked after serving coffee.

"Call me Sirius. Right now I don't really do anything, I just came back right after the final battle, so it's been a few weeks of going to funerals and then coming here."

"What about before that?"

"I... well, I was still in school when the war broke out. I joined the Order as soon as I could, and fought up until I got sent..." he trailed off. The subject of his stay in Azkaban hadn't really come up, and he wasn't about to remind Hermione's parents of his ex-con status.

"You were in prison, right?" David asked. He had a much better memory than Sirius had hoped for.

"Yes. I didn't do what I was convicted of doing, but I was in there," he muttered.

"Hermione mentioned you were innocent, but she also mentioned you had gone without a fight. If you were innocent, why not defend yourself?" Jean sounded very interested, as if she had been itching to hear the answer for years.

"My best friend and his wife were dead, my Godson an orphan living with Muggles. I felt partially responsible, no, I felt wholly responsible. If I had been secret keeper it would have been me and not James," he said bitterly.

Sensing a change in conversation was in order Hermione piped up, "How is your dental practice going down here?"

"Oh, really good," David replied, and the tension in the room eased. "We've taken on two students in their final year, and were thinking about hiring them and opening another branch. I guess we could probably hire them and have them take over our current location."

"Why would you do that?" Hermione asked.

"Well, we're back. It's time to move back home. Assuming we still have a home."

"The Death Eaters got to it," she sounded sad. "But I'll get it cleaned before you can get there, I promise."

"There's no need to rush, dear. The students have a few more weeks, it'll take that long for us to complete their evaluations, then a few more weeks of training them to take over the business. I guess Wendell and Monica Wilkins will live on a little longer."

"What are you going to tell them?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"That we miss England and that we want to move back."

"Sun, sand, beautiful women," he muttered a little too casually as he sat back. "Why would you want to live in the damp when you can have this?" he made a vague sweeping motion with his hand.

Hermione looked at him, slightly irritated, but turned back to her parents. "I'll make sure to have your house back in form before you get back."

"We'd appreciate that, but you really don't have to go through that much trouble," Jean said kindly.

"Trust me, Mum, you really don't want to see what they did."

"Well, our home is always your home," she smiled at her daughter. "We have a guest room, if you want to stay, Dear."

"I might do that, but I'm tired. I think I'm going to go back to the hotel for tonight."

Jean and David simultaneously shot looks at Sirius, then at each other.

"How long did you say you've been seeing each other?" Jean asked slowly. "You've only been back from the dead for a few weeks, right?"

"Separate rooms," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"What ever happened to Ron? You always talked so highly of him."

Sirius sighed and started rolling his eyes, but a sharp nudge from Hermione stopped him.

"He and I realized we're much better friends than boyfriend and girlfriend," Hermione replied.

"Immature prat," Sirius breathed, earning him another nudge.

"We're going to go back," Hermione suddenly sprung up. "Goodnight, Mum, Dad," she hugged each one in turn. "I'll call tomorrow when you're back from work."

She was already out of the room before Sirius was fully standing. He awkwardly shook hands with her parents and hurried after her.

"I'm going to Apparate back," Hermione drew her arms around herself as he reached the bike.

"Why?" he asked in surprise.

"I need a minute by myself."

"Okay, but you'll probably need to walk," he nodded towards an old couple sitting on their porch across the street, looking at them.

"Fine," she huffed, climbing on behind him. As much as he wanted to talk to her he decided to wait until they were back at the hotel, in private. They Apparated directly back to their hotel room from the parking garage, neither in the mood to pretend to be Muggles another moment.

"What was that?" Hermione rounded on him.

"What was what?" he returned, thrown back by her quick hostility.

"Let me think," she placed her hand on her hips. "It might be the part where you just sat back and didn't say anything while my parents were grilling me, or it might be the part where you were flirting with the waitress, or..."

"Are you determined to have an argument, or will there be any defending myself?" he replied, staring at her.

She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly.

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have been more supportive. I'm new to this meeting the parents thing. And as for flirting with the waitress, it got us a private table, didn't it? I'm not going to apologize for knowing how to get what I want, even if it takes a little flirting to get it."

Her jaw hardened. "Is that what I am? Just another thing you want? Another conquest?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "What would make you think that was all you meant to me?"

She remained silent, eyes furious, arms still crossed. "There's no other way to get what you want? You have to flirt with other women?"

"I'm not going to argue with you, no matter how determined you are to have a fight," he crossed his arms in a mirror image of her.

"Fine," she muttered. "I'm going to bed." She pushed past him and went into her room, slamming the door.

Sirius stared after her, wondering what in the world he had done to make her so upset.

* * *

At two in the morning Hermione was still lying in bed, awake but eyes closed in a futile attempt to fight back the constant chatter in her head. Sirius had been right, she had been looking to fight. Over something, anything, that would make her feelings justified. Every time she thought of Sirius leaning on the hostess' podium, flashing his perfect smile, she still felt the jolt of jealousy course quickly through her body.

She hated the feeling. Jealousy meant she was feeling much more for Sirius than she was willing to admit to herself. She didn't want to be too attached to Sirius too quickly. She had just finished fighting the war, she had just found her freedom, she didn't want to feel so committed to anything but herself for a while.

But defending her relationship with Sirius to her parents had made her realize how deep her feelings were starting to get. Sirius was not a 'fun while it lasts' relationship, like she had fully expected him to be. He had made an effort to impress her parents, something she was fully not expecting of him. Perhaps her was starting to develop the same feelings as she was.

This was wrong. She wasn't supposed to be falling for Sirius. She wasn't supposed to love him.

Her eyes opened in shock as the word passed through her mind. But she couldn't deny it to herself. She was starting to really fall for Sirius. No matter how many times she told herself that he wasn't the type to fall in love, and that since she expected nothing from him she shouldn't allow herself to develop feelings for him, she had gone against her own advice and allowed herself to be vulnerable. She shouldn't be shocked she was developing _that_ feeling for him, but there was so much potential to be hurt and she wasn't sure how much more stress she could take in her life at the moment.

Finally admitting to herself that she wasn't going to be able to sleep with her mind so conflicted she slipped out of bed. As quietly as possible she tiptoed across the common room and opened the door to Sirius' room. He had left his window open, and the curtains were flapping gently in the breeze coming from the ocean. Moonlight streamed in through the window, gently illuminating the sleeping figure. He was sprawled out on the bed, wearing nothing but his boxers, hair haphazardly strewn across his pillow. His chest rose and fell rhythmically as he slumbered peacefully.

She stepped silently into the room and shut the door behind her. She watched him sleep for a few minutes before taking a deep breath and walking over to the bed. Slowly, gently, she climbed into bed next to him. She snuggled up next to him, managing to not wake him up. He turned onto his side, wrapping an arm around her, and slept on. Moments later she fell asleep in his arms.


	16. Plans

**A/N: House quotes in bold.**

Sirius woke up first, and was somewhat surprised to feel someone in his arms. The moment he opened his eyes and saw the bushy brown locks in front of him he smiled. Whatever he had done apparently there was forgiveness or the ability to forgive there. He ran his hand over her arm, and she moaned lightly in her slip and pressed herself closer to him. He smiled, kissed her forehead, and moved to slip out of the bed to shower.

As he slid his arm out from underneath her he felt her hand grab his shoulder and pull him back to her. Her lips crashed onto his, and he responded enthusiastically. She swung a leg over him and her hips settled on top of his. His hands fumbled with her pajama top, finally pulling it over her head and casting it over the side of the bed. His lips didn't leave hers as his hands found her breasts, and she moaned into his mouth as he began to massage them. Her hips started to grind into his in anticipation.

"Is all forgiven?" he muttered, hands falling to the waistband of her pajama pants.

"If you shut up," she growled, lips crashing back into his. She lifted herself off of him long enough to pull her pants off. The thin fabric of his pants was the only thing separating them now, and she took advantage of this fact by grinding herself even more insistently against him. He growled and reached down the rid himself of the annoying fabric between them, but she caught his wrists and pushed them above his head.

"No, you have to wait for it," she teased against his lips.

He smirked and folded his hands behind his head as she started kissing his chest.

"You certainly are a cocky little bastard, aren't you?"

"Depends," he groaned as she gently bit his nipple. "Are you going to stop if I say yes?"

She responded with a particularly rough thrust against him, eliciting another groan.

"Oh, Merlin, 'Mione," he moaned as she moved her kissed lower. "This is too much teasing for so early in the morning."

"I could stop," she muttered, lips right above his waistband, her fingers playing with the elastic.

"Don't you dare, witch," he growled, looking down into her eyes.

She responded by pulling his pants off him. She positioned herself between his legs and slowly licked up his length, causing him to moan and throw his head back. His head was immediately back up and watching her as she slowly started working him up and down, her hand helping what she couldn't fit in her mouth. After a little while she stopped to slowly lick up his length again. She flicked her tongue across his tip, and he growled in response.

"Damn, witch, you'll be the death of me," he muttered, hand reaching down to entwine in her hair. She grabbed his wrist again and pushed it back towards his head. As he felt himself getting closer he let go a string of profanities, occasionally punctuated with her name. She gave him another slow lick, and he couldn't take any more. He grabbed her shoulders, flipped her over, and started sucking and nipping at her breasts. She giggled playfully, then moaned and her hand found her spot and she started playing with herself.

"You smell so good," he muttered, kissing her stomach.

"You like that smell?" she smiled seductively.

"I crave it," he responded, kissing around her navel.

"It's all because of you, baby," she continued, working herself a little quicker. He grabbed her hand and licked her juices off her fingers before licking up her folds. She groaned and bucked her hips up towards his mouth.

"Patience, love," he muttered into her core.

"Patience, hell, I want you, Sirius," she moaned.

He chuckled before his tongue flicked out to meet her again. He slowly explored her with his tongue, moving over her folds, into her center, and back out again. Her fingernails dug into his shoulder at every pleasurable feeling, and he could smell her getting more and more aroused.

"Stop," she ordered, and he obeyed. "Get back on your back." He obeyed again. She straddled him again and lowered herself onto him. He groaned, grabbed her hips, closed his eyes and cursed.

"Is everything okay?" she asked in concerned.

"You're so tight," he groaned, not revealing he was thinking of Moody in a bikini to keep himself from coming at the sensation.

He finally released his hold on her hips and she slowly started grinding herself into him. She leaned back and grabbed his ankles to give him a view of him penetrating her. He couldn't stop staring at her, but his eyes wandered all over her body. He bucked his hips up to meet hers, and she moaned loudly and her head fell back.

The closer she got to climax the harder it was for her to concentrate on her movements. She bent back over him, hands gripping his shoulders, eyes closed in focus. He grabbed her hips and continued to thrust himself into her. She shouted his name as she finished, and her clenching around him sent him over the edge himself.

She collapsed next to him, panting. He quickly enveloped her in his arms and kissed her face gently. "Where in the hell did you learn that?" he smirked.

"You have no idea the side studies that go on in the girls dormitories at Hogwarts."

"Inform me," he muttered excitedly. "Every last raunchy detail."

"Maybe later," she laughed.

* * *

Hermione decided that she would stay in the hotel, and the couple met up with her parents every night for dinner. While they still seemed apprehensive about Sirius they didn't make any further comments about the age gap, and everyone took great pains to not mention anything to do with prison. Conversations usually revolved around moving back to England and picking up life where it was left off.

"What are you going to do with yourself, dear?" Jean asked one night over spaghetti and meatballs.

"I was thinking I'm going to go back to Hogwarts and finish up," she smiled, passing Sirius a bowl of garlic bread and not noticing his jaw dropped. "I think it's important to finish up my education."

"That sounds like a good plan," David nodded.

Sirius poked at his food and didn't say anything. He didn't relish in the idea of having Hermione away from him for almost ten months. She was one of the three people who managed to destroy all of Voldemort's horcruxes and take him down for good. That should count, she shouldn't have to go back and finish her studies.

"And what about you, Sirius?" Jean smiled at him. "What are you going to be doing now?"

"I have no idea, Mrs. Granger," he answered honestly. "I'm sure that there's something I could find to do to keep me busy."

"What do you _want_ to do?"

"What I wanted to do when I got out of Hogwarts requires the strength and agility of a much younger man," he tried to cover his bitterness with a chuckle. "But I'm sure there's something that this old dog can learn to do. Maybe look into making some investments."

David looked him over. He wasn't thrilled about Sirius' obvious ambition to do nothing but to live off the family money. Sirius knew that look, he had seen it several times from Lily.

"Of course, I'm a little unhappy with the Ministry of Magic, so the career in magical law enforcement that I wanted when I left school was finished. But maybe I can do a little work in George's joke shop, help him research and development or something."

"Well, it would be something," David said disappointedly.

Later that night, after they had left, Hermione and Sirius went for a walk in the park.

"You didn't mention that you wanted to go back to Hogwarts," he started, grabbing hold of her hand.

"I wasn't thinking too much about it until the last day or two. I'm supposed to meet Harry and Ron back at Grimmauld Place in five days, and that sort of made me think about what I'm going to do at the end of the summer."

"Why do you need to go back to Hogwarts? You're too bright for them."

"Magical education extends beyond Defense Against the Dark Arts, and so many careers in the magical sector require one to have completed their NEWTs."

"You are bloody Hermione Granger!" he protested. "You don't need to learn that stuff. You could probably teach half the Aurors at the ministry a thing or two."

She looked at him harshly. "The decision is mine, and I made it. I want to go back to school, I'm going back to Hogwarts. If you want to be with me, we're going to have to work through me having to stay in school."

He sighed. She could be so stubborn, but that's one of the things that drove him wild about her. He had been with women before who would ask 'how high?' if he told them to jump, and there was no fun in it to him anymore.

"It's your loss," he smirked. "You're the one who is going to have to learn to be away from me for weeks on end. Tell me, love, **how long can you go without sex?"**

**"How long can you go without annoying people?"** she retorted with a sly smile.

"Two weeks, three days, fourteen hours. That's an average, mind you. There's some people I have to annoy much more often."

"Bloody Marauder," she murmured, before pulling him to her for a kiss. "Are you thinking it'll be all that bad between us if I return to school?"

"Actually I'm thinking of taking you back to the hotel room and shagging you senseless," he replied.

"Sirius Black!"

"I'm being honest. Don't women like that? I tell you the truth, sleeping with you crossing my mind a couple times a minute. **Don't blame me, blame my gender**."

She stalked off in mock anger, and he ran after her, scooped her up, and, with a quick check to make sure the coast was clear, Apparated her right into his bedroom.


	17. Return

**A/N: I wrote a completely different chapter for this, but decided that it seemed too much like filler and cut straight back to England with Harry and Ron. Hope no one minds.**

**Only one quote this time. From House.**

**As always, enjoy and please review.**

Hermione and Sirius decided to return back to Grimmauld Place the day before she was supposed to meet up with Harry and Ron, just to give them some time to recover from the journey before they had to deal with their friends. She had thought that packing in the morning would be her usual, stress-inducing affair, but it was hard for her to be stressed about it with Sirius looking over her shoulder and casually commentating on how much he liked her knickers.

"Why haven't I seen this pair?" he asked in poorly-faked anger as he held up a particularly tiny pair made up of red lace.

"You did," she blushed, grabbing them and shoving them into the beaded bag. "Two nights ago, for about three seconds before they were on the floor."

"Was that the same night you wore these?" he asked, holding up a pair of strappy stilettos. "Because I distinctly remember those staying on..."

"Yes," she blushed more furiously. "Just because you can't appreciate a nice pair of undergarments..."

"I appreciate what is underneath them even more," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck. "You know, we have half an hour until check-out. Want to see if we can make it?"

"Later," she muttered, pushing him out the door so she could change clothes. She put on a pair of cute new jeans she had spotted the day before, a t-shirt, and her leather jacket. She reached for her sneakers, but caught sight of the stilettos. Normally she would think that wearing anything but sneakers or boots on a motorcycle would be an idiotic idea, but there was a difference with Sirius' magical motorbike. It had all sorts of anti-crashing charms and spells on it to keep her from having to put her feet down. Smiling she slipped her feet into the stilettos, stored her sneakers in her bag, and walked into the common room to meet up with Sirius.

"Good Merlin, 'Mione," he muttered, catching sight of the shoes. "How do you expect me to drive knowing you're wearing those behind me?"

She shrugged innocently as she opened the door. They checked out of the hotel quickly, then walked to the valet stand. Again the valet jumped off the bike like it burned him, and Sirius helped Hermione on. She quickly pulled herself as close to him as possible. He took his time riding through the city, then out through the suburbs to the countryside. He created another unauthorized portkey ("I have twelve years worth of 'time served' to make up for") and after another very long and very uncomfortable ride they were riding through the English countryside.

The rode up the dilapidated looking street and came to a stop between eleven and thirteen Grimmauld place. They waited for a couple kids to disappear around the corner, then they quickly pushed the bike onto the small lawn of Sirius' house. Before they could even climb off the bike the front door flew open.

"There you two are!" Harry shouted, cross-armed in the door frame.

"What do you mean 'there you two are'? Last I checked this was _my_ house," Sirius smirked.

"We thought we'd drop in on Hermione a couple days early, and we get here and the house is empty. We decided to just stick around until she showed up."

"Good to see you again, Harry. Did you enjoy C... er, your vacation?" Sirius gave his Godson a hug.

He nodded vigorously. "Sun, sand, and topless beaches. I enjoyed the view. And taking a break was kind of nice, too."

Sirius laughed loudly, and Hermione, rolling her eyes, pushed past them. She ran her beaded bag up to the room she shared with Ginny so many times before, then made her way back to the library. Sirius was sitting across from Harry and Ron, having poured generous measures of firewhiskey for the lot of them. She sat next to Sirius, making sure to leave some room between them, but he didn't think before placing an arm around her. He tried to cover by moving it quickly to the back of the couch, but Harry's raised eyebrow.

"How's your Mum, Ron?" Hermione asked a little too loudly.

"She's good," Ron smiled. "Harry showed up a week ago. He got sick of eating out."

"Your Mum makes good food," Harry shrugged. "Don't tell me you aren't happy that I showed up. You've been hounding me for advice ever since I got there."

"Advice? On what?" Hermione looked excitedly at Ron.

"I... er... well..." Ron stammered.

"He asked out a Muggle girl from the village," Harry tattled.

"You did? Good for you," Hermione smiled. "How did you meet her? Is she nice? When is your date?"

"Maybe we could limit this to one question at a time?" Ron smiled. "Harry wanted to go get one of those, what do you call them? DC players..."

"CD players," Harry corrected.

"Yeah, that's it. He said he wished he had one while on the beach and we went out to buy one. We went to the Muggle store..."

"It took us about four hours to get to the CD players. Ron was asking what everything does and how it does it, he'd make his dad proud."

"That stuff is so cool!" Ron smiled. "Anyways we finally get to the CD players and she comes over to help us and when she was done I asked her if she wanted to go get dinner some time."

"Verbal vomit, more like," Harry smiled. "She was walking us to the front to check us out and Ron, who hadn't said two words, shouts 'Youwannagooutwithme?' pretty loudly."

"It worked, didn't it?" Ron blushed.

Hermione laughed. "The undeniable Weasley charm."

"So he's been following me around asking me about all things Muggle so he doesn't sound like a bumbling idiot Saturday night," Harry concluded the story.

"Oh, Ron," she said, sounding kind. "Just be yourself, that's what girls like."

"Enough about us," Ron blushed again. "Where have you two been away at?"

"Have fun keeping each other company?" Harry threw in

"How did you know we were somewhere together?" she asked in shock.

"You came back on the same bike," Ron pointed out as if it were obvious.

"Oh. Sirius took me to Australia so I could go reverse the spell on my parents," she threw it out as casually as she could.

"And they slept together," Harry said, matter of factly.

Hermione's jaw dropped. She shot a look at Sirius, who was looking as shocked as she was. As shocked as they looked, niether had anything on the look of horror across Ron's face.

"What would make you think that?" Sirius asked loudly.

"**The eyes can mislead, the smile can lie, but the shoes always tell the truth**,"Harry smirked.

All the eyes in the room immediately went to Hermione's footwear.

"You rode a motorbike all the way from Australia in those sexy little things? Either your sneakers were wrecked somewhere, or you're doing it because someone likes them. And since you didn't know Ron and I were going to be here, I can only assume that you were wearing them to impress Sirius. And then earlier Sirius put his arm around you, which is something he wouldn't do unless there was something there. So I guessed based on the evidence, and by your reactions I'm guessing I was right."

"Well, we talked about it..." Hermione muttered.

Harry held a hand up to keep her quiet. "Listen, I don't care. Whatever this is, I trust both of you to make your own decisions. If this is a friends with benefits situation, have fun. If you're dating, that's great, just remember I'll come after you if you hurt her," he pointed at Sirius. Then he turned back to Hermione, "You're old enough to know what you want, and Merlin knows you're mature enough to figure out what's right for you. Just, take it slow. I don't want to have to feel like I have to choose between one of my best mates and my Godfather, alright?"

"Thanks, Harry," she smiled, but then she turned toward Ron, who was still looking as if Snape had just told him 'Good work'.

"If it makes you happy," Ron murmured, but it looked as if he had much more to say.

"Well, that's that, then," Sirius smiled, replacing the arm firmly around Hermione's shoulders and pulling her towards him. Ron winced, but Sirius didn't notice. Hermione felt her stomach drop, but she turned her attention back to Harry's story of his vacation, vowing to save it until she and Ron could speak privately.


	18. In which a miracle happens

**A/N: This chapter contains one of my favorite ever quotes from House, broken into two (one person gets the majority, but it wouldn't make sense if they said the whole thing).**

Hermione decided that dinner would help everyone talk about what they were up to, and she wandered down alone to the kitchen to get started, leaving Sirius, Ron, and Harry talking about something that involved Harry miming cupping two large melons on his chest and Sirius and Ron bent over laughing.

She was busy working on a stew when she heard someone shuffle in behind her.

"Need any help?" came Ron's voice.

"I think I'm okay," she replied, setting a couple knives slicing through some fresh vegetables. She was happy that Kreacher and Sirius had given each other a wide berth, and that the house elf's feelings for Harry still led him to keeping the kitchen properly stocked.

She expected, maybe hoped, Ron would just grab a few butterbeers and return to Sirius and Harry, but he remained rooted to the spot. "Can I talk to you?" she asked.

She sighed, but kept it quiet enough that he didn't hear. Slowly she sat at the table, staring at the scarred wood rather than her friend. "What's up?" she muttered.

He sat across from her, and she felt him studying her face. She looked into his eyes defiantly, bracing herself for the confrontation. "I don't like this," Ron muttered.

"Duly noted. You can go now." She wasn't keen on hearing reasons, and knew that much more conversation would probably lead to a fight.

"Please hear me out, 'Mione," he said softly.

This time she didn't hide her sigh. She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly.

"You need to be very careful about this, 'Mione. You know I have your best interests at heart, right?"

She nodded slowly.

"I love Sirius, like an uncle or something, but that doesn't mean I think you're right for each other. He's older..."

"You don't think I noticed that?" she sighed.

"I _know_ you know," he said shortly, before taking a deep breath and continuing. "I'm just worried about you getting hurt, 'Mione. Sirius, he seems to get bored easily. And he gets antsy when he gets bored. He does reckless things. He pushes the boundaries. And I'm just worried that one day he'll get bored with you."

"Then I'll have to do my best to keep him interested, won't I?" she shot back.

He winced. "And I know _you_. You don't give things that you want up easily. There's a huge potential for your heart to be broken, and I don't want to see that. I don't want to sit here knowing that I have these concerns and not voicing them, because I really don't want to think 'I told you so' if you ever need me to comfort you."

"I've thought this through, Ronald. I'm sure about this. I wouldn't be doing it if I wasn't sure about it."

"I just wanted to give you my concerns. I think this is one of those things best left where it is before it gets too complicated."

"I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

"I'm not saying you can't!" he sounded angry. "I'm just saying you shouldn't be doing this. He _is_ going to hurt you."

"Do you really have that little faith in me and in Sirius that you don't think we can enter into a relationship without dooming it to failure from the start? Or is there something else you're skirting around?"

He turned red. "You're already sleeping together," he muttered.

"Yeah. I was there. I kind of knew that."

"You seem to have rushed into this awfully quickly."

"Is that it?" she snapped. "You and I admit to each other that a relationship wouldn't work, and a month later I return with a boyfriend in tow. But somewhere in the back of your mind that one kiss at Hogwarts makes me your property and thus completely unable to have another boyfriend?"

"Sirius seems to be a little more than a boyfriend," he hissed.

"So what's it to you?" she shouted back. "We're _not_ together! You don't have some sort of claim on me just because we kissed once. And if I remember the same conversation, you've asked out a Muggle girl yourself. Are you starting to show your hypocrisy again?"

He turned a deeper shade of red. "Just because I said I didn't want to see you that doesn't mean I want you going off to shag someone else so soon afterwards."

"Luckily for me you don't have a say in the matter. Whom I shag and when I shag them is only my business," she hissed dangerously.

"Fine. Set yourself up to be hurt. And don't come crying to me when you find some other girl on her back underneath him," he stood up, slammed his chair against the table, and she heard him stomping up the stairs towards the front door, then the door slam moments later. It was a miracle Mrs. Black didn't wake up and start screaming.

She growled in frustration, then went about mincing an onion much finer than necessary. _He's such a git,_ she repeated in her head with every slice of the knife. _The only one I'm better off without is_ him._ Sirius isn't going to hurt me._

_Is he?_

* * *

"So, how did she manage to drive you nuts?" Harry smiled at his Godfather and took another sip of firewhiskey. "Assuming you have to be somewhere in the realm of crazy to ask out someone half your age and miles out of your league."

Sirius chuckled. "From what I hear I should be asking you how she managed to drive you so crazy."

Harry blushed. "She told you about that, huh?"

"She may have mentioned it."

Harry looked into his glass and smiled as he remembered that night. "It was bumbling, first time for both of us sex."

"Horrible first time or wonderful?"

"This is Hermione, mate."

He let out a noncommittal grunt.

"Threatened, old man?" Harry smirked.

"From my experience **when two people have sex, unless it sucks, if they can do it again, they're going to do it again. And that's when things get complicated**."

"**And it didn't suck**," he reached out in a salute to Hermione with a quick eye to make sure she didn't enter the room.

"Hear, hear," Sirius toasted. "So, need I be threatened, little boy?"

"Not in the slightest," Harry shook his head forcefully. "I have a girl I'm crazy over. Part of the reason I returned back from the sun and sand early."

"Needed a little something yourself?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't tell Ron, but yeah, a _lot_ of something."

"His baby sister?" Sirius chuckled.

"His completely _pure_ baby sister, at least in his mind," Harry said in a low voice.

Sirius' laugh boomed through the room.

"Hermione, she's a fiery one, Sirius. You got to be very careful with her. You can ask Ron about the incident with the canaries." He mimicked batting things away from his head.

"I'm not sure I want to know," he chuckled.

"And she is my best mate, the one I trust more than anything. I'm not going to drop her if there's some sort of falling out between you two."

"I wouldn't expect you to."

From somewhere below them they heard the front door slam.

"That would be Ron," Harry muttered.

Sirius was already on his feet, striding towards the door, but as he opened it he didn't hear what he was expecting.

"It seems like my dear mum is holding her tongue. They must have fought."

"What makes you say that?" Harry asked in awe of Sirius' reasoning.

"She gets no greater delight in seeing Mudbloods and Blood Traitors angry, even more so if they're angry at each other. She thinks it's some kind of spectator sport." He stayed by the door, listening to see if he could hear Hermione.

"Maybe she's dead or something. Can portraits die?"

"I'm not _that_ lucky," he growled, and decided that he would go downstairs to see what was going on. If there was a fight he wanted to make sure everything was okay with her. Harry could wait.


	19. Letting it slip

**A/N: Sorry it's been a week with this chapter. I had a request for a little smut, and decided to re-write it to include fan requests. I do listen to reviews, people! So pretty please, leave one!**

**And Stalker of Stories- if you're reading this I've mentioned your name in this chapter, but didn't write you in quite yet. Next one, or the one after. For those who don't know, SOS took me up when I made mention on HPFC that I'd read a Dudley/George fic if someone was daring enough to write one, and I promised anyone who wrote a decent one would be written into the story of their choice. She'll now be playing the Muggle Ron has a date with.**

**No quotes this time. I got lazy, and wanted to update.**

He tiptoed past the portrait of his mother, still shocked she wasn't screaming and doing his best not to give her a reason to start, and took the stairs down to the kitchen two at a time.

"Everything okay, love?" he asked, seeing Hermione chopping vegetables a little more vigorously than she needed. The carrots were a fine mince.

"Stupid prat," she fumed, reaching for an onion.

"You're not talking about me, are you?"

"Oh, no," she said, waving her wand and setting the knife cutting for her. "Ron. He's just..."

"Being a stupid prat?" he offered.

A smile flashed across her face.

"What did he say?"

She shook her head. "He was just being an arse."

He crossed the room and took her in his arms. "You know, I'm not _just_ good in the sack. You can talk to me."

She chuckled. "He told me you were going to hurt me."

"Hurt you? Why would I do something stupid like that?"

"He says that you're going to get bored, and I'm going to come home one day to find you with some other woman on her back underneath you."

"I assure you," he hissed, backing her up against the table, "that there is only one woman I want on her back underneath me."

"Sirius!" she yelped as he nipped her neck. "Harry's upstairs."

"That's what silencing charms are for," he flicked his wand.

"He's going to get suspicious," she moaned as he sucked lightly on her earlobe.

"Locking charms," he flicked his wand again, then tossed it across the room.

She could think of a dozen ways Harry could get past that, but as Sirius lifted her onto the table and positioned himself between her legs she forgot every one. He kissed her urgently, his lips pressing hard into hers, his tongue commanding control of her mouth. He undid her jeans with one hand and slipped his hand into her panties. She gasped into his mouth as his fingers started stroking her folds. Her hips started moving of their own accord, pressing hard into his hand.

"Eager, are we?" he breathed onto her neck, giving her goose bumps.

"Oh, Gods, yes! I need you Sirius!" she begged.

He chuckled as he pulled her shirt over her head. His lips attacked every inch of her exposed skin as he slipped a finger, then a second inside her.

"You're so wet," he groaned, fingers playing against her spot.

She whimpered, "More, Sirius, please."

"If you really can't wait," he smirked.

Her wand was in her hand, and she vanished her pants and panties. She aimed it at her bra, but he took the wand from her and tossed it across the room.

"Leave it," her ordered. "It's fucking sexy."

"Take me," she begged as his fingers never stopped pressing into her.

He responded by pushing his own pants off, leaving his shirt in her haste. He lifted her legs. "Fucking sexy," he repeated, running his soaked fingers over the stilettos she was still wearing. He hooked her knees over his shoulders, then bent over her, lifting her hips off the table. He entered her, and she gave a loud moan at the new angle and how deep it allowed him to penetrate her.

"So tight, aren't you, witch?" he growled as he started thrusting roughly into her. As much as he wanted to make love to her, to take it slowly, they did have a guest and if there was ever a time for a quickie, this was it.

"Harder, Sirius!" she moaned, clawing at his back as he complied. Beads of sweat popped up on his forehead as he concentrated on the woman writhing beneath him, arcing her back into him, moaning his name like some spell. Her breathing became more rapid, her center tightened around him and with a load groan she orgasmed. He continued to thrust into her, feeling his own climax approaching, and as he whispered her name he spilled himself into her.

"Feel better?" he smirked as his lips tenderly met hers.

She smiled and pulled him down for a more passionate kiss.

There was a pounding on the door. "Sirius? Hermione? Is everything alright?"

"Shit!" she groaned, pushing him off her and conjuring her pants back from thin air. They both got dressed in a hurry, Sirius still buttoning his pants as Hermione unlocked the door and opened it.

"Ugh," Harry groaned, rolling his eyes and scrunching his face. "It smells like sex in here. Can you guys really not go for a couple hours?"

"Sorry, mate," Sirius beamed, placing an arm around a blushing Hermione as she turned to finish the stew. "Caught up in the moment and all that."

"Don't want to hear it," Harry held up a hand. "That better be the best damn stew I've ever tasted."

* * *

Ron Apparated from Grimmauld Place to the Burrow, and burst in the back door as loud as a hippogriff.

Ginny was still at the table, eating a sandwich and looking over the Daily Prophet. "Cannons lost again?" she asked.

"Hermione's fucking Sirius!" he blurted out.

"She's what now?" her mouth was wide open in shock.

"They went on vacation together, and they started sleeping together," he huffed, sitting across the table from her and grabbing an apple out of the basket Mrs. Weasley always kept stocked.

"Are they dating, or just having sex?" she folded the paper and looking at him in interest.

"Dating, it sounds like."

"That's great!" Ginny smiled. "They'll be so good together!"

"What?"

"Don't you see, Ron? They're different enough that they could really make it work. She's calm, collected, analytical, and composed enough to be the rational side of the relationship. He's spontaneous, emotional, rough around the edges, and loud and would be the unconstrained side. They sound like opposites, but I think in this case it would work so well. I think they're both romantic enough that they'd be able to work though those differences. Oh, this is so exciting!"

"You think it's a good thing Hermione's already jumped into bed with him?" Ron asked in horror.

"It _is_ a bit sudden. I don't think 'Mione has ever done it before," she nodded in thought. "But can you think of a couple who better know the value of life and living for the moment, can you?"

"I guess not," he grumbled, feeling foolish.

"Oh, this will be fun. Maybe we can do a triple date with me and Harry, you and your Muggle..."

"Kia!" he snapped.

"Kia, sorry, and them. Wouldn't..."

"Who is 'them'?" Molly entered the room carrying a large basket of laundry. "Did Hermione find someone?"

"Er," Ron and Ginny replied in unison, exchanging glances.

"They're hiding something," George announced, following his mother.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ron asked in surprise.

"I wanted to see your darling mug, dear brother," he rolled his eyes. "That and Mum wanted me to sort through the stuff in my old room and get rid of some of my old junk. It's Sunday, the shop's closed, and it's as good a day as any to finally do it."

"I've only been asking him for a year. But that's neither here or there, I think he may be right. What are you hiding? Is Hermione seeing someone?"

Ron shot a murderous look at George. "Yeah," he muttered, keeping it simple.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" she smiled, waving her wand, causing the clothes to fold by themselves as she started sorting socks. "Who is he? Do we know him?"

Ginny snorted. "We certainly do know him," she muttered under her breath.

Molly looked at her daughter in surprise. "Don't tell me she's dating Charlie behind my back," she said, eyes widening.

"Oh, no, it's not Charlie," Ginny shook her head enthusiastically.

"Well, good. He's too 'out there' for a nice girl like her. Percy seems more her type."

"_Please_ tell me she's not dating Percy," George asked, looking horrified at the thought.

"No!" Ron said firmly.

"Good. I'd have to go steal her for her own well being and sanity if she was," George smiled.

"_Have to_?" Molly raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hermione's hot, and much too smart for Percy the Prat..."

"George," she hissed, looking dangerous. George immediately stopped talking. "Ron, dear, who is it? Is it that Seamus from your year?"

"No," Ron said softly.

"I don't have all day for Mum to play twenty questions," George sighed. "Just out with the name so I can go congratulate him."

"Maybe we should let them go out a little longer, just to see how it goes," Ginny said hopefully.

George gasped, a theatrical look of horror across his face. "It's a _Slytherin_, isn't it?"

Ginny and Ron shook their heads simultaneously.

Molly had stopped sorting as was giving stern looks at her two youngest. "I want a name," she commanded, and they cowered slightly, speechless. "_Now!_" she barked.

"Sirius!" Ron said quickly.

"Sirius _Black_?" she roared, eyes wide.

Ginny nodded slowly.

"Of all the low, snake-like, immature..." Molly muttered, standing quickly enough to knock over the laundry basket and rushing for the door.

"They're at Grimmauld Place?" George looked at Ron once Molly was in the backyard.

He nodded back, unable to speak.

"I'm going to watch the fireworks. Sirius is in for it. This is going to be epic. And to think I almost didn't come today thinking that being at home would be boring!"


	20. First time

**A/N: I worked really hard to get all three of my stories updated today. This is three of three. I'm going to bed after this.**

**The second part of this story might seem a little random, but I needed to put StalkerofStories, aka Kia in so she won't be so confusing when she shows up later. SOS, I hope I did you justice, and I hope you like chess (if you don't, too bad, you do now!) There's also one House Quote in there.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Keep 'em coming! And enjoy.**

"SIRIUS BLACK!" Molly's voice rang through the house.

"Shit!" Sirius jumped, knocking over the chess game he and Harry were playing.

"You're in for it, mate," Harry chuckled. He followed Sirius into the hallway.

"Mudbloods! Filth! Blood-Traitor scum dirtying up the house of my ancestors!" Mrs. Blacks portrait finally decided it was time to speak up.

"Shut your bloody mouth!" Mrs. Weasley roared as she wrenched the curtains shut. Surprisingly Mrs. Black fell quiet. George, Ron, and Ginny appeared timidly behind her.

"Molly," Sirius tried to smile at her.

"Don't you '_Molly_' me, mister," she growled dangerously, as if talking to a five year old. "Where is she?"

"Upstairs, asleep," Harry said, poking a head out behind his godfather. "If she could have taken a nap through that."

"Don't tell me you're supporting this, Harry James Potter," she hissed.

"I'm staying out of it," he held his hands up and retreated a couple steps.

"You," her finger pointed at Sirius. "How dare you! She's a _child_, Sirius. You're taking advantage of her!"

"She's much more intelligent and mature than you give her credit for, Molly," Sirius replied, straightening up.

"That doesn't mean she's experienced in things like dating. She's too young to realize what exactly she's getting herself into!"

"What, exactly, do you think she's getting herself into?" he snapped back, looking angry.

"A relationship with someone who has been known for a love 'em and leave 'em attitude! You're not good for her, Sirius! She's only with you because you're a novelty to her!"

"What the bloody hell do you mean by that?" he shouted back.

"I mean you're not the dating type, and you know it! I don't know what you told the poor girl to make her believe that you are..."

"People change, Molly! What makes you think that I'm not looking for something long term?"

She let out a shout of laughter that made George cower. "Do you honestly think you'd marry the girl? That you're doing nothing more than using her because she's young and beautiful?"

"I would never use her!"

"Until the next thing in a short skirt and a tight shirt walks by."

"I wouldn't cheat on Hermione. I care for her too much."

"You care for her, that's it. Do you _ever_ think you could love her?"

He stopped and thought for a minute. He didn't want to lie, he really liked Hermione, but he wasn't sure if he could call it love yet. But the honest answer was that not only could he see himself loving her, he was getting closer to it every day. He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Hermione's voice.

"That's bloody enough!" she cried, standing on the landing behind Sirius. She was wearing her pajama bottoms, a t-shirt with no bra underneath, her hair messy from sleeping on it.

"Hermione, dear," Molly's demeanor suddenly changed.

"Don't act so nicely, Mrs. Weasley. I've heard every word since you walked in the door. And let me put this simply. Bugger off, okay? I'm old enough to make my own damn decisions, and you are not my mother. I'm not so stupid as to go into something without thinking about it, so let me put my big girl knickers on now and make my own choices. If what I get is a broken heart, well, that's part of dating, isn't it? How am I ever going to learn if you're sitting there trying to hold my bloody hand and walk me through it or stopping me from having a bad experience, if that's even what this is going to come to?" Her arms were crossed, and she was staring down Molly as if challenging her to continue her tirade.

Everyone was looking in shock at Hermione. Few people had ever spoken to Molly Weasley like she just did, and it was even more rare that she didn't fight back.

No one looked more shocked than Sirius. His doubts had flown out the window as Hermione was speaking. He loved the woman, there was no question about it now.

"If that's what you want," Molly said stiffly.

"Yeah, this is what I want," she said, descending the stairs and placing an arm around Sirius' waist. He placed his arm around her shoulders and beamed.

Molly looked from Sirius, to Hermione, to Harry, to her own children as if hoping someone would come out as an ally. Finding nothing she mentioned having to do shopping for dinner, and she left.

"Bloody hell, Hermione," Ron looked faint.

"You're bloody brilliant, Hermione," George breathed in admiration.

"Thank you, George. It needed saying," she smiled.

"You have to teach me your technique."

"I'm not her daughter. I had that advantage. You're on your own, buddy."

"You got your show," Sirius smiled, wrapping his arms around Hermione. "Now clear off before you get another one."

"Quidditch, mate?" Ron asked Harry quickly.

"Right behind you," Harry ran down the stairs and the crowd left out the front door.

"That was quite awesome," he muttered, running a hand through Hermione's hair appreciatively.

"Stop trying to make it sound like I did something great. I said something that's needed saying for years. She thinks that because she's like a second mother to us she can micromanage our lives and I'm getting bloody sick of it. Her opinion of me changes with the tide. I'm sure that she's going to be cold and distant towards me for a while, and that's okay with me."

"How could she ever think ill of you?" he asked in surprise.

"When she thought I was dating Harry and Viktor Krum at the same time in our fourth year she all but said out loud she thought I opened my legs for anyone with a bit of fame to their name."

He laughed loudly. "Is that what this is? I'm famous for being the only person who ever broke out of Azkaban?"

"Whatever. I'm ten times more famous than you at the moment," she smirked up at him.

"You're deliciously infuriating, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Snape called me insufferable more times than I can count. Does that work for you?"

He shuddered. "What did I tell you about mentioning Snivellous?"

"I'll mention the man all I want. He is a hero."

He rolled his eyes. If there was anything he learned in the last five minutes it was you don't argue with Hermione Granger.

"I'm still tired. I'm going back to finish my nap," she announced, turning to leave. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him.

He kissed her gently. "I love you," he muttered, looking into her eyes.

"You don't need to say that," she looked surprised.

"Not quite the romantic return I was hoping for," he chuckled.

"I just don't want you saying it unless you really mean it."

"And I wouldn't, love. You can trust me."

She smiled, studying his face as if it would betray his true feelings, but feeling confident she nodded and said, "I love you, too, Sirius."

He smiled and scooped her into his arms. "I think I might join you as you're taking your nap," he smirked and he carried her towards her room, her fake shrieks of protest echoing through the hallways.

* * *

Ron had no time to bask in the glory of Hermione's victory, because he had a date to get ready for. At first he had tried to dress in a Muggle tuxedo, on George's suggestion, but Harry talked him out of it and into a nice pair of jeans and a button-up shirt. Ginny made sure his hair was as tame as possible, and, feeling like his stomach might betray him, he Apparated to the safe spot by Kia's house. He walked up to her door and rang the bell.

"I'm leaving, Dad!" she called as she opened the front door.

"Have fun. Don't do anything stupid," a voice called from inside the house.

She rolled her eyes and closed the door. "Hello, Ronald," she smiled up at him. She was a tall, solidly built girl wearing a pair of jeans, a plain wrap shirt, her blue rectangular glasses, with a silver necklace and earrings to match. Her curly dark brown hair was held back with a headband, and she had a hint of makeup, though nothing too much as the rosy cheeks worked so well on her pale skin.

"You look nice," he said quickly, trying not to blush.

"So do you," she nodded. "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes," he nodded enthusiastically.

"Um, did you bring your car?" she looked behind him.

"Er, no, I don't really drive."

"Don't you live on the outskirts of town?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes, but I walk everywhere. It keeps me fit."

"I see," she still looked confused, but shrugged and started towards her car. "Hop in, I'll drive."

He got in the car, and they drove to the nearby Italian restaurant. They got seated and ordered while making small talk about their families.

"I'll admit, I find it completely fascinating that you had no idea what all the little gizmos and gadgets in the store were," she finally said, spearing a pesto bowtie.

He smiled awkwardly. "We don't really have things like that at home," he shrugged.

"Do you do all of your stuff by candlelight or something?" she chuckled.

"That and oil lamps."

"That must be tough," she looked impressed.

"There's certain perks to it. I don't have to go out and spend all kinds of money I don't really have to have the biggest or the best whatever."

"Is your family one of those that are completely against using electricity at all?"

"Good Merlin, no!" he laughed.

She started laughing. "That's a funny thing to say. Merlin."

"Er," he bit his lip, hoping he wasn't going to do something that would require the Obliviator Squad to show up. "My dad is fascinated by electricity, we just don't use it," he tried to steer the conversation back on track.

"I don't think I could do it. If I had to live without my internet for more than a couple weeks I'd probably go mad."

He chuckled. "It's hard to miss what you've never experienced."

"I see. So what do you do for fun?"

"I play, um, futbol, I read when my friend Hermione can talk me into it, and I play chess..."

"Chess? I love chess. We'll have to play sometime."

"Sounds like a plan," he smiled, and relaxed slightly. The date must be going pretty well if she was willing to schedule a chess game.

"So, where do you go to school? I would have thought I'd remember someone with as red hair as yours."

"I go to boarding school, the same one my brothers and sister go to, or went to I should say."

"I can't believe that you have... how many siblings was it?"

"Five now. My brother, Fred, died recently."

"Was he one of the two twins I saw walking around a couple times?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. I'm sure you miss him."

"Like crazy. So, we've talked a lot about me. How about you?"

"I'm starting my final year of school in a couple months, I'm an only child, and I think my dad would go nutters if we didn't have electricity," she smiled.

"It must be nice to be an only child."

"It has it's perks. No competing for my parents' attention. Though there is the downside of there's no one to point out' hey, can we get off my screw-ups and focus on theirs? Theirs are bigger'."

Ron laughed. "I guess that's the nice thing about Fred and George. I can at least point at them and not look so bad in comparison."

She laughed.

"What are you planning on doing when you're done in school?" he asked.

"No clue. That's a little ridiculous, isn't it? Asking a teenager to make a decision on what they're going to do with the rest of their lives. How about you?"

"I'm going to work with my brother in his joke shop. He needs the extra hands, my older brothers all have jobs, my sister's still in school, so I thought it wouldn't be too much to help him get things running smoothly again."

"That sounds like fun," she nodded. "All I know is I don't want to work in an electronic shop for the rest of my life, but a joke shop sounds more interesting."

"You have to meet George to know how interesting it could be," he gave a look of fake horror.

They finished dinner, and she drove back to her house.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" she asked as they got out of the car.

"I'm fine," he nodded. He didn't want her to take him home because it would be awkward when he asked her to drop him off in front of what looked to be a wide open field.

"Well, I had fun tonight, Ron," she smiled, standing in front of her door.

"Yeah, it was really cool," he smiled awkwardly.

"I'm off work Wednesday. Want to get together for that chess game?"

"Sounds good," he nodded.

She leaned forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you then."

"Yeah," he blushed. "See you."

She walked inside and closed the door. He nearly ran back to the safe point, and Apparated back to the Burrow.

"How was it?" Ginny and Harry looked up from their game of Exploding Snap.

"We're playing chess on Wednesday," he responded.

"Way to go!" she smiled broadly.

"Good job, mate," Harry beamed again.

Ron, who suddenly felt extremely exhausted, retired to bed. He had done well on his date, Kia seemed interested in him, and he was playing chess with her in a few days. All he had to be worried about now was making sure he moved the pieces instead of ordering them around.


	21. Offers

**A/N: I'm not horribly proud of this chapter. I wanted something between when they returned to England and when Hermione goes back to Hogwarts. Meh. House quote in italics. I flirted with the 'Things You Can't Do In Hogwarts' challenge, but they are not in Hogwarts, I just like the quote.**

**I can smell the finish line of one of my other stories, For Their Greater Good, and I'm debating on whether to focus my efforts on that for a while to get it done. I'm not good at this three at a time thing. But if you want me to keep going and do the rotating thing, tell me and I'll do it.**

**Enjoy.**

On Tuesday Hermione decided it was time to tackle her mail. She hauled the sack up the stairs of Number Twelve and emptied it all across the floor.

"Merlin, Hermione," Sirius whistled. "You want me to get Kreacher to answer that for you?"

"No," she answered angrily. "And you should let him free. No creature, unpleasant as they may be, should be subjected to that kind of enslavement."

"But I've been nice to him!" Sirius protested.

She rolled her eyes and plopped down next to the pile of mail. "Kreacher?" she called sweetly.

The old elf, who had been ordered by Sirius to listen to Hermione, appeared in the door.

"What can Kreacher get for Mistress?" Sirius looked at the elf as if readying himself to snap at him for calling her 'Mudblood' or something else foul.

"Could I get a butterbeer?" Hermione asked warmly.

"As you wish," the elf shuffled from the room, limping slightly.

"Kreacher?" she asked, causing the elf to turn. "Is something wrong with your foot?"

"It's nothing, Mistress," he tried to move the foot behind him and winced at the motion.

"Let me see," Hermione ordered gently, and the foot moved forward as if forced. She removed the sack wrapped around the foot and found a good sized cut, oozing what looked to be yellow pus.

"Oh, Kreacher," she murmured. She waved her wand to summon her bag, dug around, and pulled out a bottle of Essence of Dittany. She dabbed some on his foot, which stopped oozing and started to close.

"Feel better?" she asked, cleaning the sack and wrapping it back around Kreacher's foot.

"Yes, Mistress," the elf nodded, his scowl gone, but without a smile to replace it. He left to get Hermione's butterbeer, and returned moments later carrying a bottle. He handed it to her and bowed out of the room.

"He probably shook it up or spit in it or something," Sirius looked wearily at the bottle as Hermione took a long pull.

"Rosmerta couldn't have made it a more perfect temperature," Hermione smiled, holding the bottle to him as if to challenge him to contradict her.

Cautiously he took the bottle, and took a drink himself. He looked in amazement at the bottle as he handed it back to Hermione. "Wow. _That is awesome. I gotta start pretending to care_."

She snatched the bottle back with a roll of her eyes and unrolled the first scroll.

"Letter of complete adoration?" he chuckled as she looked shocked.

"Marriage proposal," she said, re-reading the letter.

"Who?" he sounded irritated.

"Not sure," she muttered. "But they're offering a herd of twenty prize winning hippogriffs if I accept."

"Really? Well, you might want to accept. Hippogriffs can win you loads of gold."

"I'm not going to marry someone for the gold."

"Damn."

She chuckled and kept reading. When she decided to take a break three hours later she had three pieces of hate mail, three hundred and twenty seven letters praising her, and fourteen marriage proposals, none of which were from anyone she knew, most were much older than Sirius, three were from parents trying to arrange her marriage to their children, two were from women.

"You can marry a woman," Sirius wrapped his arms around her from behind as she rubbed her temples. "_If_ I can join in."

She shook her head. "Like I'm going to accept any of those proposals."

"Accept them all. You can have twenty hippogriffs, a very full Gringotts account, and enough elf-made wine to keep you drunk enough to forget that you're married to loads of desperate prats."

"Sounds like just how I want to be living," she rolled her eyes.

"If you do, I have some elf-made wine upstairs," he smiled.

"If I'm going to be some arranged trophy-wife, I could do much better than you, Mr. Black," she smiled sweetly at him.

"You're going to regret saying that," he pounced at her, lips pressing hers insistently, but they were broken up almost immediately by the sound of knocking at the front door.

"Damn, tell whoever it is to come back when I'm done getting lucky," he grumbled.

"A little over-confident, aren't we?" she shook her head while standing.

"You know you can't resist the Black charm," he smiled, sitting back as Hermione bounded downstairs to answer the door. She opened it wide and saw McGonagall, Harry, and Ron.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Granger," McGonagall smiled warmly at her.

"Good afternoon, Professor," she smiled, stepping back to allow the trio to enter. "How can I help you?"

"It's time for me to start making rolls for next year at Hogwarts, and I've come to talk to the three of you about your futures."

"Oh!" Hermione sounded excited. "Come in, let's go to the library. I'll have Kreacher make us some tea," she spotted the elf standing at the top of the stairs. "If you would, please, Kreacher."

"Yes, Mistress," he nodded and started hobbling down the stairs towards the kitchen. They made their way up to the library, where Sirius stood to greet them.

"What's new, pussycat?" he smiled widely at McGonagall, who did not look like she found it amusing.

"How are you, Mr. Black?" she replied tersely.

"Living life and loving it," he replied as she sat in an armchair. Harry and Ron took the couch, Sirius pulled Hermione onto the loveseat next to him, earning a raised eyebrow from McGonagall.

They sat in silence until Kreacher brought up the tea. Once everyone had a cup of tea McGonagall decided it was time to start.

"As you are all aware you have yet to take your NEWTs. Considering your recent activities, the Ministry is willing to forgive the fact you haven't taken any formal testing and count it as though you have. However, I know that you," she directed the comment mostly towards Hermione, "might feel a full education is of the utmost importance, and if you want to return to school to finish, I'd like to discuss accommodations the school is willing to make for you."

Harry was already shaking his head. "Kingsley has already arranged for me to start Auror training the moment I feel ready for it."

"And a fine Auror you'll make," she smiled. "I expected nothing less from you. And you, Mr. Weasley? Will you be joining Mr. Potter?"

"No. I told George I'd help him get the shop back up and running, and help him run it for a little while. It's not going to be easy for him, not having Fred."

She nodded knowingly. "Which brings us to you, Ms. Granger."

She shot a look at Sirius, then said firmly, "I want to go back to Hogwarts."

"I suspected you would. And as such, I thought it would be easiest for your transition if I awarded you this," she held out a small package.

Hermione took it and unwrapped it carefully. Inside was a red and gold badge with HG written on it. "You're making me Head Girl?" she asked in disbelief.

"I couldn't think of anyone more deserving of the position."

"Thank you so much!" she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

"Congratulations, love," Sirius smiled and rubbed her back supportively. Not wanting his second chewing out in as many days he decided not to hug and kiss her, as he wanted to.

"Thank you, Sirius," she muttered, trying not to flush.

"With that, you get certain privileges, with a few bonus because of your age and status. You'll be free to visit Hogsmeade whenever you wish, just so long as you're back by the curfew for the Head Girl and Boy, which is midnight. You'll obviously have rounds to do, you'll be able to dock points and assign detentions. Free access to the Restricted Section in the library. You and the Head Boy have your own quarters and private baths, with a shared common room."

"Er, who is going to be Head Boy," she asked, worried that she might be trapped in her private quarters with someone she couldn't stand.

"Neville Longbottom," she smiled proudly.

"Neville?" she squealed excitedly. "But didn't he already do his seventh year?"

"He sent me an owl two weeks ago asking if he could repeat the year, as he didn't feel he did much in the way of advancing his education throughout last year. His Grandmother wants him to leave and get a job, which seems to have made him all the more determined to come back," she smiled fondly.

Hermione laughed. Neville was finally sticking up for himself. "I guess there could be worse people to be sharing a common room with," she smiled.

"I'm sure you'll both be able to help each other immensely."

Ron looked as if he wanted to make a snide comment, but a sharp, well-timed kick from Harry stopped him.

"Well, Ms. Granger," McGonagall said loudly, as if she knew what Ron was thinking, "I daresay you know the drill by now. September first, Platform Nine and Three Quarters." She held out the letter towards Hermione, who reached out and took it. "Now, if you would excuse me, I would like a quick word with Sirius."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up and left the room. They closed the door behind them and McGonagall waited until she heard their footsteps retreating downstairs before starting.

"How have you been feeling, Sirius?" she asked, looking him over.

"Fit as a fiddle. I honestly feel like I never died."

"Has Hermione figured out what happened to get you back yet?"

"Not a clue, doesn't mean she doesn't think about it whenever she gets a chance."

She looked at him sternly. "I heard you two went on a trip together."

"She wanted to go to Australia to get her parents, I always wanted to go, we went and split a suite," he replied nonchalantly.

She eyed him suspiciously. "Did you enjoy your time down there?"

"It was pleasant," he replied shortly.

She considered him for a moment. "The reason I wanted to talk to you is, yet again, Hogwarts finds itself short a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

He laughed loudly. "You must be pretty desperate if you're thinking of offering me the position."

"You do have more experience than most when it comes to defending yourself, and you have an extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts."

"Because my family were prats."

"Be that as it may, I think you would make a decent fill for the position."

He thought quickly. If he accepted the teacher position he'd have to keep his hands off Hermione for ten months even though he'd get to see her everyday. Fun at first, but it'd become torture really quickly. "You remember that twenty inch essay on Conjuring Spells in my sixth year?"

"Vaguely."

"More specifically how long it took you to finally get me to turn it in?"

"If I remember, it was about four weeks, and only after I threatened to ban you from Quidditch."

"Yeah," he chuckled. "If it took me that long to get my own homework done, how long do you think it would take me to grade papers? Not to mention, do you really trust me with the future of the next generation of witches and wizards?"

She cracked a small smile. "I suppose Filch might have a heart attack with you prowling the hallways again."

"That old fossil is still around?" he asked in shock.

"I'm sure he'll outlive us all."

"Already outlived me."

"So I'm assuming you're turning down the offer?"

"I just don't think I'd be the right person for the job."

"This has nothing to do with Ms. Granger?" she raised an eyebrow.

He looked sheepish. "That obvious?"

"Not very. But there were a few subtle clues."

"I'm ready for the lecture," he groaned.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to disappoint you there. I'm not going to meddle in the affairs of two adults capable of making their own decisions."

"Really?" he looked surprised.

"Just be careful, Sirius. She's young, and a favorite of mine."

"I have no intentions of being reckless."

"Unfortunately, recklessness is usually not intended." She stood to leave.

"Check back with me about that position in a year," he winked as he shook her hand. She smiled warmly, then walked out.

He sat there thinking. There had to be a way to be near Hogwarts, and thus Hermione, and he would have to figure it out before September first.


	22. Welcome to the Secret

**A/N: SOS- I hope I did you justice.**

**Like it or hate it, please review.**

One week before the start of term Hermione decided that she wanted to do her school shopping. She had gotten a large amount of gold from interviews and appearances, and the first place she went was Gringotts to open her own vault. Not surprisingly the goblins had been short with her, giving her a recently emptied vault that smelled like dragon dung, and made her wait fifteen minutes to get a cart. They didn't seem all that upset to see her leaving.

"Never really a pleasant lot, but they were in rare form today, weren't they?" Sirius grumbled as they stepped into the sunlight.

"Considering I'm one of a very select few people who have managed to rob the place, I'm not surprised I'm _persona non grata_," she smiled, shoving what she had kept of her gold into her purse.

"I forgot about that, but now that I think about it you can tell where they had to fix the floor you three destroyed," he laughed.

"You should be frightened. From what I've heard they've been unable to replace the dragon we let free, which was also guarding your vault."

"Somehow I'm not afraid that someone might try to replicate your escape. The sheer mechanics of it, not to mention the luck involved, was somewhat epic. That and I got a letter saying that they've replaced the dragon with a Graphorn."

"Right," she said, walking into Flourish and Blotts. "Nothing but the best for the Black family vault, huh?"

"Sirius Black!" the shop owner squeaked at the sight of him.

"Alive, well, and cleared of all charges," he muttered, his now typical answer. Ever since returning to London he had been inundated with witches and wizards terrified by the sight of him. Despite the fact that he had been proclaimed innocent, as evidenced by a piece of paper from the Ministry that he carried around, the wizarding community as a whole was still terrified by his very presence. There had been an article on his return in the Daily Prophet, which mentioned his innocence, but the Ministry had convinced the editors to regulate the news to page twelve. They claimed it was because they didn't want to be overrun with people who wanted the return of their dead relatives, but Hermione strongly suspected that they didn't want to look like the idiots yet again. She was sure Kingsley, who didn't give much of a damn about the press, would have made sure the article was front page news.

"I need my Hogwarts books," Hermione muttered shortly. Normally she could spend hours perusing the bookstore, looking for things that might be interesting reads, but now she was irritated with the shop owner and just wanted to get in and get out.

"Seventh year?" the owner asked, still looking Sirius over.

"Yes," she replied, than listed the subjects she was taking. With a few waves of his wand the books came zooming towards the owner. Sirius had to duck to the side to miss one.

She paid and they left the store. "I'm getting a little sick of that," she murmured as they walked down Diagon Alley.

"Sick of what?" he asked, eyeing the new racing broom in the nearest shop window.

"Sick of them constantly staring at you because you're you, staring at me because I'm holding hands with you..."

"They stare at you because you're you, too," he pointed out.

"Yes, but that's because I'm known for doing a good thing."

"Stinks when you have a bad reputation following you, huh?"

"Yeah," she said, getting a little ahead of him when he paused to look in at the Owl Emporium. As their hands stretched out as far as they could go without releasing each other he pulled her back to him and into a sensual kiss.

"Do you really care what the hell people think of us together?" he murmured against her lips.

"Let them stare," she replied, craning her neck upward to press her lips to his again.

As they turned to continue down the street he wrapped an arm around her waist. They walked towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, and when they arrived he held the door open for her.

"Hermione!" George smiled widely, pulling her into a hug and kissing each cheek. "My shop is your shop, wonder witch. Whatever you want, on the house. As a thank you for saving my brother's sorry ass."

"I didn't save his..."

"I'm sure you did at some point. Just take the goodies, and be a spokes-witch. You'll bring in loads of new customers if they see you with my stuff."

"Well, thank you, George," she smiled, walking off into the shop.

"You, on the other hand, Black," George turned to him. "You're loaded. You pay."

Sirius gave a barking laugh. "How have you been, honorary Marauder?"

"Really?" George put on the look of a beauty queen who just found out she won her pageant.

"After your grand exit? How could I not make you one? And being the sole survivor, it's all in my power."

"I'm taking it day by day. I have Ron helping out, so that's doing loads, but I've had to put a lot of things on hold while I sort of regroup and get things running smoothly again."

"What have you had to put on hold?"

"Expansion plans. We were thinking of buying out Zonkos, but a few months of paying the rent and not being open sort of depleted our 'buying out' fund. If we start doing the same business we were doing before we were forced to go into hiding it'll probably take a year or so to save it back up. Hence why I want the smartest, most popular witch of the moment to be carrying around a big bag of my products."

Sirius looked contemplative before looking around and seeing Hermione checking out some of the more adult WonderWitch items.

"You and Granger, huh?" George nudged him.

"The old dog learned new tricks," he chuckled back.

"Ugh, I'd do anything to learn those set of tricks," he muttered as Hermione bent over to look at something on the bottom shelf. "Is she as spectacularly amazing as I imagine she is?"

"Why would you imagine that?"

"Something always told me that 'Mione would be somewhat adventurous in bed. Something about the repressed sexuality of bookworm type girls. Or at least that's what the adult magazines have led me to believe."

"Well, you're just going to have to keep imagining. I'm not telling anything."

"You don't need to. I can see the products she's picking right now, and I'd do anything to be in your shoes Padfoot," he smirked.

"So, about Zonkos..." Sirius changed the subject quickly.

* * *

That afternoon Ron had decided that it was time for Kia to meet his friends. He had invited Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Sirius to a picnic in a park in Ottery St. Catchpole. After much bickering back and forth, and Hermione trying to stall by spending as much time as possible in Diagon Alley, she wasn't able to delay long enough to avoid getting on the back of the motorbike. She put on her helmet and clung to him as the bike lifted into the sky. Her eyes remained screwed shut until she felt the jolt that signaled the bike's return to the earth. Only then did she venture to look around her, and saw them driving through the countryside. They passed the Burrow, took a turn, then roared into the main town. He steered expertly around traffic, finally coming to a halt outside the park. They hopped off the bike, he looked around to make sure the coast was clear and cast his usual protective spells quickly.

They wandered, hand in hand, to where Hermione had pointed towards a group of four people, two of whom were redheads.

"Nice of you to finally show your faces," Harry chuckled as he spotted them approaching.

"You know me," Sirius smiled. "I love to make an entrance."

Hermione took the initiative, offering her hand towards Kia, who was sitting next to Ron looking a little nervous. "I'm Hermione," she smiled warmly. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Kia," she shook her hand enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you."

"Sirius," he offered his hand.

She looked a little scared. "You look awfully familiar," she mumbled as she tentatively shook it.

"For the sake of full disclosure, yes, I am the man who broke out of prison several years ago, no, I didn't do it, and I have since been cleared and have papers to that effect. I am not 'armed and dangerous', at least not in the sense that the news portrayed me to be," he smiled as if this information was nothing more than a joke.

"I see..." she said slowly, but smiled as if she obviously believed his story.

"Mum packed us a load of stuff," Ron said, prodding the basket sitting next to him. Making sure to keep it by his side he reached in and started pulling out different dishes.

"You mum sure knows how to pack," Kia muttered, looking surprised at the sheer volume of food Ron was pulling from the basket.

"That's Molly for you," Harry laughed, handing out plates.

"Mum does love to cook," Ginny smiled, popping the tops off several sodas excitedly. She had never had a soda, and she had been looking forward to trying it all day.

"I do, too," Kia nodded. "Not as a giant passion, but I know my way around the kitchen."

"That's good," Hermione nodded. "All I really know from cooking..."

"You read in a book," Harry and Ron said in unison.

"You'll come to find that Hermione has memorized about half the library. And she'll be more than willing to recite some of the most random and trivial facts in everyday conversation. She usually wins arguments because she knows almost everything," Harry explained.

"Well, that's patently unfair," Hermione crossed her arms. "Just because you usually throw out some stupid argument that's easy to shoot down by simple logic..."

Sirius chuckled, but made like he was taking a drink to cover it up.

"Don't laugh, Black," Ron looked at her. "You're dating her."

"I'll let you in on a little secret to keeping your woman happy. She's always right. Don't argue that point with her, you'll lose. Even if you win the argument, you lose."

Hermione shot him a death glare. "The key to wining arguments is to not argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."

Ginny snorted.

"Are they always like this?" Kia looked at her.

"This is them on a good day," she smiled. "You should see some of the fights Hermione and Ron can get in. They're worth selling tickets to."

"Why do they fight?"

"Because they're gits."

"If all the gits in the world fought with each other because they're gits, there would be a hell of a lot more arguments going on."

"Pie?" Sirius asked, holding up a pie and a server, smiling widely.

Harry started laughing. He served the pie as the conversation got away from Hermione's argument style and back towards more normal topics of conversation. Hermione and Kia started talking about a television special that had been on the week before. The men stayed quiet, wanting to discuss the latest Quidditch match but unable to do so in front of Kia. Ginny placed the used dishes back in the box, inconspicuously poking it with her wand every so often to clean the contents.

"Hey, Sirius, mate," Ron said, looking past him at the motorbike parked in the lot. "Are those some guys touching your ride?"

Sirius' head snapped towards his bike, and he eyed the mean who were running their hands admiringly over it. He had spent his free time fixing the bike back up and making it look pristine again.

"It's protected," he muttered, not taking his eyes off the men. One of them tried to sit on it, but jumped up rubbing his rear. "Bloody Muggles."

"Muggles?" Kia stopped her conversation and stared at Sirius. "What's a Muggle?"

"Er..." he looked nervously around. Harry and Ron looked angry, Hermione and Ginny were looking at him in shock.

"There's something you're not telling me," Kia immediately rounded on Ron. "There's been something you've been hiding since we've started going out. What is it? What can't you tell me?"

The witches and wizards exchanged nervous glances.

Hermione sighed. "Perhaps we should go somewhere more private?"

Kia eyed each of them. "My mum and dad went to London to see a play. They won't be back until later, my house is empty."

The house was two blocks away, and they walked slowly there. She invited them in, and they all sat in her sitting room, looking around nervously.

"You're here. Now tell me what's up," Kia demanded.

"Your girl," Harry gestured for Ron to tell her.

"Right," Ron muttered, sitting next to his girlfriend and taking her hand. "What we're going to tell you, you have to promise to never tell anyone. Not even your parents. It's a complete secret, and you're not supposed to know unless we get married."

"Not that we've ever been a lot to follow rules," Sirius winked.

"I always thought that was a dumb rule that broke marriages up," Hermione shook her head.

"Not the time," Ginny quieted her.

"So, um," Ron shot a look around for support. "All of us are, well, we're wizards and witches. We all have magic. There's a whole underground magical community living all around you."

Kia looked around to all the people in the room as if waiting for one to jump up and inform her of the joke. "You're serious?"

In response Ron drew his wand. In unison the rest of the group drew theirs.

Kia breathed quickly as she looked around at each of the wands. "This isn't some sort of hoax?" she whispered.

"Here," Hermione said, conjuring a paper bag from thin air and handing it to her. She took it, but could only stare at it.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"This is bloody awesome!" Kia laughed. "I knew there had to be something like this going on, some of the things the news reports just doesn't add up, but I never thought I'd meet a whole group of witches and wizards! Are the rest of your family magic, too? Is that school you went to a school for magic? Were you at a Wizard prison, Mr. Black? How many witches and wizards are there?"

"Whoa," Ginny held up her hands, chuckling. "One at a time!"

"I'm sorry," Kia took a deep breath. "This is just, like the coolest thing I've ever heard of. You can't fault me for getting excited and asking questions."

"That's actually pretty darn close to what I was like when I found out I was a witch," Hermione smiled. "My mom counted twenty-three questions before McGonagall could get a word in edgewise."

Sirius and Harry broke out in simultaneous laughter.

"That so sounds like you!" Harry looked at her apologetically.

"You can't tell me you didn't have questions," she shot back.

He shrugged. "Hagrid told me, and I sort of went with the flow."

"Leave it to you..." she started.

"Speaking of leaving," Sirius said, standing. "I think it'd be best for Ron to fill Kia in with all the details. Sorry, darling, but it's nothing we haven't heard about," he added, looking towards Kia.

"Yeah, you should probably get going," Ron said, shrugging.

They said their goodbyes, and promised to get together soon at the Burrow for a 'Welcome to the Secret' party. Harry and Ginny Disapperated, much to Kia's delight, then Hermione and Sirius made their way towards his bike.

"I'm not sure that was the smartest thing. We probably should have Oblivated her," she bit her lip nervously.

"Eh, we'll do that if they break up. But let her have her moment. This has to be exciting for her," he wrapped an arm around her.

"I agree that it's not a good idea to spring magical abilities after a marriage. It can create a sense of inadequacy next to someone who can do anything with a wave of the wand. But they haven't been going out that long. We probably should have waited to spring that on her."

"I'm not worried about her," he chuckled. "I'm more worried about poor Ron ever getting out of there with all those questions she had."

"Do you think..."

"I think," he interrupted, pulling her to him and running his fingers through her hair. "That we don't have much time before you go to Hogwarts, and all I'm worried about is spending as much time as possible with you in my bed before you get on that train."

"You, sir, have a one-track mind," she sighed, smiling.

"Pun intended?" he nuzzled her neck.

She responded by taking his hand and pulling him towards the motorbike.


	23. Departure

**A/N: Hey, everyone. Sorry for the delay. I moved, which stunk, and I decided that I'm really going to try to finish For Their Greater Good, which now only has two chapters to go, which is good. I wanted to give you a little something, so here's some smut, followed by her return to Hogwarts.**

**It's not from the House Quotes Challenge, but there is a quote from House in here, underlined. I love it, so I had to work it in.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

As they flew over the countryside Hermione suddenly felt a bit of bravery. She released her death grip on his abs, and trailed her hand lower. She started rubbing the inside of his thigh, occasionally scraping her fingernails lightly over his jeans. She heard him take a sharp intake of breath, and felt him straighten up. Slowly her fingers worked their way back up, tracing his now tensed muscles with her fingertips, giving him a playful nip on the shoulder.

"Sweet Merlin," he groaned, tightening his grip on the handlebars. "You keep going like that, and I'll wind up crashing this bike."

"Wouldn't want you to do that," she muttered, hand dropping to run quickly over the crotch of his jeans. She then returned it to a clasped position over his stomach.

Unable to respond verbally he opened up the throttle, and the bike rocketed even faster towards Grimmald Place. Her eyes shut tight again as he went into a steep dive, headlight killed to not draw attention. She forced herself to focus on her breathing and not the fact that her stomach felt like it was resting somewhere near her voice box.

They landed in a safe alley about a mile from the hidden house, and he didn't hit the brakes as he rocketed into the street and towards his house. There were no Muggles around, so he didn't need to slow as he made a quick turn through the hidden gate, skidding to a halt feet fro his front steps. He was off before the engine had given a final growl and died, and he went to pick her up and carry her inside.

"I think I'm going to stay out here," she gave a seductive smile, running a hand slowly over his newly vacated seat.

"What?" he muttered, eying her hungrily.

She tossed something on the ground by the front gate, and immediately an screen of smoke sprung up, completely covering the front fence. They could see the vague outlines of a couple walking past, moving much too fast, passing a house they could not see.

"What's that?" he said, eying the smoke.

"A Weasley's Wizard Wheezes product," she said, placing one leg up on the handlebars, showing off her legs, back arcing so her breasts pointed upwards, putting on as much of a show as possible. "It provides an impenetrable barrier for those who like to do their activities in public, but don't want the risk of getting caught."

"Minx," he growled, advancing on her, but she held up a hand for him to stop.

She waved her wand over his bike, then placed it safely back in her pocket.

"What was that for?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice. What had she done to his ride?

"It wouldn't do for it to fall over in the middle of our activities, would it?" she whispered, pulling her shirt off her body slowly.

Realizing he was about to combine two of his favorite things in the world, his bike and sex with Hermione, he pulled his own shirt over his head and pressed his body to hers. He could feel the fabric of her bra rubbing against his skin, and each movement it made across his chest turned him on even more. Without hesitation his fingers found the button of her jeans, and without breaking contact between their lips he had tugged both the jeans and her panties from her. She fumbled with his jeans for a moment before sliding them down as far as they would go.

Without waiting for them to fall the rest of the way to the ground he pushed himself into her. She groaned and leaned back, one hand holding the handlebar, the other gripping the seat, her legs wrapped tightly around him. Her charm held, no matter how hard his thrust the bike stubbornly remained in the upright position.

"Sirius," she hissed, bra-clad breasts heaving with her every breath. He placed one hand on the other handlebar, reached around her, and relieved her of the fabric. He cockily looped the bra over the back of the bike, as if he'd keep it there as a trophy, then leaned his head down to start kissing, sucking, and nipping at her breasts.

Her hand abandoned the handlebar and raked across his back, leaving four small trails of fire in the wake of each of her fingertips. Without warning he pulled out of her, lifted her off the bike, and gently turned her around. She spread her legs slightly and bent over the bike, hands pressed onto the seat. He entered her again and continued his hard thrusting as she gasped in pleasure and called his name again.

Something about seeing her grasping his seat so tightly he thought it would come out with holes from her fingernails, and hearing her cry his name for the third time right before she had her own release caused him to spill himself into her with the best orgasm he had in his life. He held her to him as he rode out the waves of his pleasure, then a little longer as he got his breath back.

"Merlin, 'Mione," he panted, stepping away from her. She immediately lifted herself onto the bike, still naked, and smiled at him sweetly. "I've got to buy a bloody camera. If I had one right now..." he lifted his hands to form a frame as to make a mental picture of the naked witch atop his bike. Her eyes shone brightly as if she had an idea, but it quickly passed and went unnoticed by her lover.

"I thought you might enjoy that," she smiled, pulling her hair back into a loose ponytail.

"You do that to me too many times, and you'll force me to make an honest man of myself."

"If there's one thing you've never been in your life, Sirius Black, it's honest."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she had picked up her clothes and was at the door.

"Care to shower with me?" she asked.

Any witty retorts he might have had went flying out the window as he rushed after her.

* * *

On Sept the first he escorted Hermione to Kings Cross. She protested that if anyone didn't need an escort, it was her, but he insisted either way. And when they got there he insisted on pushing her cart for her. Crookshanks, who she had retrieved from his hiding place at Mrs. Figg's house (he seemed quite happy to be back), was sitting in his carrier atop the luggage cart, staring lazily at Sirius, who kept calling him 'my ginger critter buddy'.

There were no looks from the harried Muggles who were running around the station hurrying to get to work or the next stop on their vacation or wherever Muggles have a tendency to hurry to at quarter to eleven in the morning. They waited until the coast was clear, then walked through the barrier together, her arm looped around his.

The stares started immediately, though she was determined not to notice, and he was too busy chattering happily about the upcoming Quidditch game he was going to see with Harry to care.

"Mummy," a young girl squeaked, hiding behind her slack-jawed parents. "Is that Sirius Black?"

His name echoed in whispers around them as they walked towards the compartment that she and Neville would be sharing as Head Boy and Girl.

"... with Hermione Granger?"

"... heard he was back, thought it was a load of bollocks..."

".... innocent or no, he still gives me the willies..."

".... _she's_ seeing _him_?"

"Hey, Hermione!" Neville waved at her, standing next to his Gran who was looking considerably more proud of her grandson than any other time Hermione had ever seen her.

"How was your summer, Neville?" she asked with a smile.

He bid goodbye to his grandmother before answering. "It was really good. I told Mum and Dad the whole story of how we defeated you-know... I mean, Voldemort. I might just be imagining things, but I think I saw a bit of recognition in her eyes." He blushed.

"That's wonderful, Neville!" she said enthusiastically.

"I do hope the best for your parents, son, they were good friends," Sirius nodded.

It was as if Neville was the only one on the platform who hadn't noticed who Hermione was walking with. He looked up at the scraggly-looking man with wide eyes, then quickly looked away, turning red. "Yeah, um, thanks. You, uh, you want any help with that trunk, Hermione?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you."

"Together?" Sirius asked. He grabbed one side of the heavy trunk, Neville grabbed the other, and they hoisted it into the compartment. Once they had the trunk secured, and Crookshanks in a warm corner, Sirius hopped off the train to say goodbye to Hermione.

"You know, if you tell me where the Heads dorms are, I can sneak in for a nightcap every so often," he muttered as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Haven't you caused enough problems breaking into Hogwarts, _Padfoot_?" she whispered back.

He beamed. "You see, it's only a problem if you get caught."

"_Don't _come into Hogwarts," she said firmly. "How would it look if the Head Girl got caught sneaking in her unlicensed animagus ex-con boyfriend into the castle?"

"It would look like they finally got a Head Girl who didn't have a rod shoved way up her..."

"Sirius!" she hissed, glancing at a set of first-year twins standing nearby.

"What? You're the one who has broken rule after rule, but when it comes to seeing me, suddenly it's 'we have to follow the rules'," there was a fake pout on his face.

"No breaking into Hogwarts. If you do, I swear I won't sleep with you." She crossed her arms and gave him a stern look.

"And you think I'm only wanting to see you because of sex?" he looked wounded.

"No. But I think that if I showed any interest you wouldn't say no. Don't break into Hogwarts."

"I'm breaking into Hogwarts. Care to place a bet on if you'll sleep with me when I show up?"

"No, I don't care to place a bet, because I don't want you doing it. Don't make me tell McGonagall," she added like a six year old.

"Oh, tell McGonagall. And get a picture of her reaction. It's a miracle that vein in her head hasn't burst yet, I'm sure adding Sirius Black sneaking into the castle yet again to her list of worries might finally push it over the limit..." his eyes glassed over as if he were visualizing the reaction.

She shook her head. "I can't believe you. You're nuts. Which makes me nuts for arguing with you."

"You love me."

She sighed. "I guess," she replied, stone faced.

His lips met hers in a soft embrace. "I love you," he murmured against her lips, causing her knees to feel weak again.

"I love you, too. See you at Christmas?"

"Sooner," he said, turning to walk back up the platform.

"Sooner? Sirius Black, don't you..." she was cut off by the shrill whistle of the train, signaling it was time for everyone to be on. A group of parents walked between her and Sirius, and when they had passed she didn't see him, but a large black dog walking away from her.

She shook her head and climbed onto the train. Sighing, she collapsed in the seat across from Neville, who was pouring fertilizer into his latest potted plant.

"So, you and Sirius Black are seeing each other?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah," she replied blandly.

He nodded, then made a deal over fussing over a pod on the plant. "You know that because you walked to the train with him and kissed him on the platform, it's going to be all over school."

She shrugged. "Couldn't hope to keep it a secret forever, could I?"

He chuckled. "You must really like him, to be so blasé about it."

"I do really like him," she muttered, leaning back and trying to think what his parting words might have meant.


	24. Surprise

**A/N: No quotes. I was in this barbaric place where the internet was not available, all on my lonesome (I was at my old house playing with felines and writing, but couldn't post due to no cable or internet). I couldn't look up quotes, so none here.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

She wasn't bothered by stares during the train ride, because she and Neville stayed in the compartment, allowing Ginny and Luna to join them but keeping the windows covered so no one else could look in. She first became aware of the stares when she was climbing onto one of the carriages. She glanced over and saw several sixth-year girls from Ravenclaw glance suddenly away from her. One muttered something to another, whose eyes grew wide as she looked over at Hermione.

"People are leering at you like you have a second head," Ginny muttered as the carriage bumped along the road, passing the gates.

"Makes you wonder if it's because of _what_ I did, or because of _who_ I did," she replied.

"That was a rather crass way of putting it," Luna remarked.

"Crass, but accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if half the school knew I'm seeing Sirius."

"I'd bet all of them. Your display was quite apparent at the station," Ginny stated, turning the copy of the Quibbler sideways and looking at something curiously.

"All the stuff I did last year, and I'm going to be known for sleeping with Sirius Black," she grumbled.

"If you didn't want to be known for it, you shouldn't have done it," Ginny pointed out. "He's not as irresistible as he thinks he is."

"Thank you, Queen of the Obvious. Though I would have been known for it even if I hadn't done it, if we had kissed on that platform without ever physically knowing each other."

"At least you got the pleasure before you got the reputation."

"Whatever you say, Woman Who Sleeps With Harry Potter."

"Hush your mouth. At least he's my age," Ginny bantered playfully, eyes still on the Quibbler.

"He's a year older than you. You're barely of-age," Hermione snapped back just as playfully.

"One year difference, twenty year difference," she held up two hands as if she were a set of scales. "Lets see who wins this argument."

"Can we talk about something else?" Neville sighed. "I don't need to be reminded that everyone else seems to be able to find a date without problems, different generation or no."

"Neville, you're a hero," Hermione said kindly. "Girls will be all over you this school year. You'll have your pick."

"Yeah, sure," he muttered as the carriage jolted to a stop. She climbed out first and started making her way towards the castle.

"Hey, Hermione!" a voice called from her left. She groaned and tried to speed up, but the sound of running footsteps soon caught up with her.

"How was your summer, Parvati?" she asked, looking at the girl walking next to her.

"Good. Yours?" her fellow Gryffindor answered quickly, pushing for information.

"Good," she answered non-committaly.

"So... how's Sirius Black? You've been around him since he came back, haven't you?"

"No need to beat around the bush. You're looking for the next big gossip story, you saw me snogging Sirius on the platform, now you want information," she said with sarcasm worthy of Snape.

"No need to be nasty, Hermione," she sounded affronted. "We've known each other for how long?"

"Speaking of which, why are you back here? Didn't you finish last year?"

"McGonagall gave us the choice to come back and re-take some of the classes that were lacking, and because our NEWTs were so messed up because of everything that was going on. If we were happy with our NEWTs we didn't have to come back, but if we weren't happy we were told we were welcome to come back and re-take those classes we want to. Considering there was no 'Defense' in our Dark Arts lessons, and that last year made it blatantly obvious that we need as much 'Defense' instruction as we can get, we decided to come back."

"Figures," she muttered under her breath. At least she wouldn't have to share a dorm with Lav-Lav.

"How's Ron?" Lavender appeared on Hermione's other side.

"Wonderful. He's seeing the nicest Muggle," she said, speeding up and leaving a stunned looking pair in her wake. She sat at the Gryffindor table where she was quickly joined by Neville and Ginny.

"Whatever you said to Lavender is making her irritated. She's already plotting ways of getting my brother back," Ginny said, glancing down the table.

"She only wants him because he's _interesting_," she smirked back.

Ginny snorted as McGonagall stood to start the feast.

* * *

"I'm bored," Ginny whined as they sat in the fireplace, a half-played game of Wizard Chess sitting in front of her.

"You've been saying that for a week," Hermione retorted. "And we're only two weeks in."

"There's nothing fun going on this year," she whined.

"You have Quidditch. On Wednesday you get to run tryouts, Captain."

"Oh, why did I agree to do that?" she groaned.

"From what I remember you didn't agree, you were appointed," she pointed out.

"As were you, Head of the Defense Club."

"They only wanted me for that position because of..."

"Everything you did last year?" Ginny offered, making a move.

"I'm still calling it Dumbledore's Army," she replied, making her own move quickly.

"It's Saturday, 'Mione. You have unlimited Hogsmede access. Why aren't you wandering the town?"

"Who would I wander with?" she shot back. "It would be boring all by myself."

"Take Neville. But I doubt it would be as boring as you think."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing. But I'm having major cramps. I could use a bit of Honeydukes Finest Fudge," she looked pleadingly at her friend.

"Or you could go to Madame Pomfrey and get a potion for it," Hermione raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"You're a woman, 'Mione," she said with a fake whine. "You know nothing works better than chocolate."

Hermione looked at her exasperatedly. Ginny looked at her with her bottom lip sticking out, trembling slightly.

Hermione sighed loudly. "With or without nuts?"

Ginny clapped excitedly and handed her a few Galleons from her pocket. "Little bit of both?"

"That's beyond a cramp craving. That's almost a..."

"I'm not pregnant. I just love Honeydukes, and we don't get to go for a month, and I don't know how many times I'm going to be able to get you to go into Hogsmede and pick up sweets for me."

She crawled out of the portrait hole and walked towards the Heads dorms to get some money of her own. The dorms were on the third floor, hidden behind a portrait of a smiling witch playing with a baby. The password had to be agreed upon by both of the Heads in front of the portrait, and she and Neville, deciding that using something they'd rather not be reminded of might be the safest course of action, had decided to use 'Nagini'.

The portrait swung wide with the secret wall behind it. Hermione ducked inside and stepped into the large common room. A fireplace was crackling merrily on the other side of the room, shelves on either side carried books on a variety of subjects. There was a small greenhouse area for Neville's plants, which had appeared before they ever entered the room, making Hermione suggest that the room had much the same properties as the Room of Requirement, giving the heads what they desired. Off to either side was their private rooms, each with a large four-poster bed decked out in Gryffindor colors. Each bedroom had their own bath, with large stone shower and oversized bath with the same variety of bubbles found in the Prefect baths.

"Hey, Hermione," Neville smiled at her, putting down his pruning shears and wiping his forehead.

"Hey, Neville. Should you, er, have that Devil's Snare in the room.."

"It's Flitterbloom," he corrected. "Do you want to hear about it? I'm surprised you don't know."

"How about when I come back. I promised Ginny that I'd go to Honeydukes and get her some fudge. Care to join me?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I could stop at the quill shop. I seem to have forgotten to pack mine. I've been borrowing, but I really should get my own."

"Oh, Neville," she sighed, smiling warmly before going into her dorm to get some gold. When she came back he was standing by the portrait hole, waiting for her. They walked out of the castle together and through the grounds. They strode through the gates, which had opened enough for them to get out and snapped shut behind them. They talked about how classes were going as they walked, and soon Hermione was giving him pointers about performing Vanishing charms, making small rocks and plants disappear as she walked to demonstrate.

Soon they were in the Village. They stopped at the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer before heading towards Honeydukes. As they walked Hermione got the strangest feeling that someone was watching her, but she looked up and down the street and didn't see anyone there. Shrugging she held the door to the sweet shop open for Neville.

"I hate coming in here, because I never fail to spend half my money," Neville smiled happily as he started looking around.

"Then don't bring all your gold," she replied, making a beeline for the fudge.

"I didn't. But somehow it usually amounts to half my spending money by the end of the year."

"Ah, live it up," she said, picking up two packages of fudge, then starting to look around for herself.

"Do you think these actually work?" he said, turning pink and pointing towards something.

"'Love nuggets'," she read in disgust. "'Entice your lover into an all-night romantic interlude with these delicious...' Ugh. They're probably spiked with some sort of love potion, maybe a stamina draught as well."

"So it just makes you lust after each other."

"Yeah. Two people in true love don't need a love potion, though it might help them enjoy each other a little better for a night or so."

"Hermione..." he muttered as low as he could as she took her sweets to the front to pay. "What do you know about Hannah Abbott?"

"I've heard she's a nice girl. I've only talked to her a couple times, and she seems very nice."

"Yeah... nice," he said absentmindedly as they exited the shop.

"Am I detecting a hint of a crush?" she raised her eyebrow as they walked towards the quill shop. She again looked around because of the feeling that she was being watched.

"She does seem nice," he muttered, looking the other way and not speaking until they had finished purchasing their quills. They started back down the street when he pointed at Zonkos, or rather where Zonkos used to be.

"Under new management!" a banner in the window touted. The sign above the door had been changed from Zonkos to Weasleys Wizard Wheezes.

"Funny. George never mentioned that he had bought Zonkos. He told me he didn't have the gold quite yet," she said, looking up at the sign.

"Want to go in?" Neville asked.

"Wouldn't hurt to take a look around," she shrugged, heading for the door.

"Good afternoon!" a witch in the magenta robes that signaled her as an employee smiled at them from around a large display of Skiving Snackboxes. "Can I help you find anything?"

"Just poking around," they said in unison. Neville started towards a display of products designed to help in school while Hermione made her way towards the back. She walked slowly down the aisles, occasionally pausing to pick up a product and look at it. She got the feeling again that someone was watching her, someone close, but when she spun around no one was there. Thinking she might be losing her mind her eyes slid over a display of Wonder Witch products that made her miss Sirius. Just as she was thinking about him she heard soft footfalls come to rest behind her. She was about to spin around when a voice purred in her ear.

"I told you that you'd see me sooner than you thought."


	25. Clashing

She spun around, excitement building up in her stomach, to come face to face with Sirius. He was wearing a cloak bearing the Weasley Wizard Wheezes emblem, though they were blue instead of the normal magenta.

"What are you doing here?" she squealed, unable to conceal her excitement.

"I had to make good on my promise," he smirked, gazing at her longingly.

"Okay, but Zonkos?"

"Weasley Wizard Wheezes," he corrected her. "George told me about their financial limitations, I said I'd front the money to buy out Zonkos if he would hire me as the manager, pay me a salary as well as a certain percentage of the profits until he's paid me back for my investment, with minimal interest of course."

"I never took you for much of a business man, not to mention running a whole branch yourself."

"I have to be the manager. Everyone under the manager has to wear magenta, and you'll never catch me in any form of pink. Not my color, love."

She chuckled, wanting to hug him but taking her cues from him and not doing so. She didn't think George Weasley would have a no-touch policy at work, and she wouldn't expect Sirius to follow it if he did, but maybe the new somewhat responsible Sirius Black would actually follow the rules.

"Hermione," Neville called, coming around the corner, arms laden in the bags he had purchased from all the different stores they had visited that day.. "Oh..." his face fell as he spotted Sirius.

"Are you ready to go back to the school?" she asked, turning reluctantly away from Sirius.

"Oh, well, I can go alone if you want to stay. I saw Hagrid heading into the Three Broomsticks a while back, maybe I can walk with him back," he answered nervously.

"Are you sure? I don't want to ditch you."

"Yeah," he said, bumping into a display as he backed away. "Have fun."

He disappeared around a corner, and the moment his cloak flapped out of sight Hermione felt someone grab her forcefully around her middle and drag her sideways into a small office. Before she could say anything Sirius' lips were pressed, bruising, into hers.

"I had hoped you would have shown up the first weekend. It's been difficult not sneaking into the castle to see you," he muttered as he wrenched her robe off her and started fumbling with the buttons of her shirt.

"If I had known I would have been here after classes the first day," she whimpered as he pulled her shirt off and pressed her body into the wall.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," he growled, nipping at her neck, fingers searching for the zipper on her skirt.

She opened her mouth to respond, but could only moan as he started gently sucking at the base of her neck. He finally managed to pull down the zipper and her skirt fell to the floor.

"When were those part of the Hogwarts dress code?" he smiled, looking over her pink polka dot satin bra and panty set.

"I'm just glad I didn't wear the ratty old laundry day panties," she smirked, pulling him to her for another bruising kiss.

He wrestled himself out of his work cloak, revealing a simple jeans and t-shirt.

"Not much for the dress code yourself?" she raised an eyebrow as he quickly unbuckled his belt.

"I don't answer to a Weasley," he growled, letting his pants fall, pushing her panties to the side and entering her roughly as she gasped in pleasure. He lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist, then held her wrists to the wall as he thrust repeatedly into her. She struggled to free her wrists, to be able to wrap her arms around him, but he wouldn't let her, and it excited her, making her grind her hips into his in time with his thrusts.

Unable to grab at him with her hands she bit at his lip, causing him to growl and press his body weight into her. She moaned, throwing her head back against the wall, her hair flying over her face as her body rocked up and down.

He released one of her arms, and it immediately tangled into his hair, holding his kisses to her neck. He nipped at her jaw line, and she closed her eyes as she began to feel herself becoming closer to climax. She writhed against him, each stroke causing her muscles to tense until, with a loud groan, she released. He hissed into her hair as he finished as well, leaning against the wall, supporting her until he could regain his breath.

She chuckled slightly as he finally let her down off the wall. She felt her hair was messed up in the back, her skirt had been trampled on throughout their lovemaking session, and she wasn't quite sure where her shirt was, but she was happy and as she looked into Sirius' face she could tell he was feeling the same.

"If that was the kind of animal you turn into after two weeks, I'd hate to see you if I stayed away for a month," she smirked.

"I can't promise to stay out of Hogwarts if you try to make me wait for a month," he replied, getting dressed.

"You forget I know every secret passage into the school, so I can make sure they're monitored."

"I don't need a secret passage," he replied with a smirk. "I have a standing invitation for tea with either Hagrid or the Headmistress."

"Oh, please go to tea with McGonagall in her office. And invite me. I would love to hear you argue with Snape."

"Why is Snivellous in the Headmaster's office?" he raised an eyebrow.

"He was a Headmaster for a year," she informed him. By the look on his face no one had told him about Snape's reign at Hogwarts.

"How low are their standards they'd let a greasy git like that become Headmaster?" he sounded shocked.

"Severus Snape is a war hero," she looked at him sternly.

"Snivellous Snape is a cowardly, arrogant prat," he spat back.

"Has Harry told you the whole story?" she asked in anger.

"No, and I don't want to hear any sob stories about his life. So he had it tough. Too damn bad."

"You could have a little more compassion," she hissed.

He scowled as he wrapped his work cloak around himself. "I'll save my compassion for someone who deserves it, thanks."

"I can't believe you won't even listen..." she snapped as she fastened her skirt.

"I don't have to listen. You're awfully willing to forgive, Hermione. Just because he did some good things doesn't mean that negates every horrible thing he did."

She glared at him as she threw her robe around herself, not bothering to find her shirt. As she wrapped it around herself she spat, "Funny, that could be said for a lot of people."

Without another word she rushed from his office, robe clutched tightly around herself with one hand, her bags in the other. He called after her, but she didn't stop. She started back towards the castle, but moments later she heard footsteps behind her.

"I'm not talking about this anymore, Sirius," she growled.

"We're not Sirius," Neville's voice sounded behind her. She spun around, thankful she had gotten her robe fastened securely so he wouldn't be able to see that she had lost her shirt as she saw Hagrid standing right next to the Head Boy.

"Alrigh' Hermione?" Hagrid asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, running her hand absentmindedly through her hair, trying to straighten it out.

Hagrid looked as if he wasn't convinced.

"What are you doing back here so early?" Neville glanced at Hagrid, hoping his words were coded enough. "I thought you said you wanted more time at Zonkos."

"I got into a bit of an argument with one of the workers..." she started.

"You mean Sirius?" Hagrid asked.

"That's the prat," she muttered.

Hagrid laughed. "Hermione, you 'n Sirius are both strong willed people. I'm only surprised it took you two this long ter get into a fight."

"How...?" her mouth opened in surprise.

"All the students are talkin' bout the two o' you kissin' on the train station. I talked ter Harry, 'n he said you have been seein' each other for almos' a month. Why didn' you tell me?" he smiled in almost a fatherly way.

"We're sort of just letting things fall into place," she muttered, looking at the dirt path below her. "Not that I think it much matters now." She gave them a quick play-by-play of the argument between them.

"Of course it matters!" Hagrid let out a booming laugh. "Listen, Hermione. I've known Sirius Black a lot longer 'n you. The fact that he is showin' affection fer ya in front of a crowd, well, he mus' really like ya. Give it a day or so to blow over, he'll be back."

She looked back at Hogsmede and wondered if it was true. When she went into the castle she bid good-bye to Neville, who was going back to the Heads dorm to tend to his plants while she walked up to Gryffindor tower. She gave the Fat Lady the password and climbed in the hole. Ginny was waiting in the chair by the fire, her Transfiguration book open in front of her.

"Here you are, Queen of Cramps," she said, tossing the bag of Honeydukes Fudge on the table in front of her.

"I love you, Hermione," Ginny snatched the bag. "If you weren't seeing Sirius, I'd totally sleep with you right now."

"What about Harry?" Hermione chuckled.

"I'd have to take pictures," she shrugged.

"I think I'll pass."

"I'm not going to offer it every time you go buy me fudge."

"Every time? What makes you think I'm going to go running into the village at your every beck and call?"

"Because I know who is living in the village now," she gave her a knowing look.

"Who?" she said innocently.

"You're kidding, right?" she raised her eyebrow. "George told me who's running the shop in Hogsmeade. I'd be willing to bet he knew you were in town the moment you passed the first shop, and if he did he wouldn't have let you leave without talking to him."

"Oh, him," she smiled, sitting in the chair opposite the redhead. "What makes you think I go running into Black's arms whenever I'm within a half mile of him?"

Ginny sighed and shot her a look.

"How's your charm essay coming?" she quickly changed subject.

"I'm got stuck when it came to the wand movement for healing spells. Could you look it over, see if I'm at least on the right track?"

"What would my life be like without having to check over a Weasley's homework?" she sighed reaching for the parchment.

"Aren't you warm? Why don't you take your robe off, stay a while?" she asked, reaching for a piece of parchment for her Transfiguration essay.

"Um..." Hermione turned beet red. Ginny looked up at her with her eyebrow nearly at her hairline. Hermione pulled the robe aside just enough to show that she wasn't wearing a shirt underneath.

"Merlin, 'Mione," Ginny shook her head, barely concealing a knowing smile.


	26. Once a Marauder

Hermione missed him, she would admit that to anyone. But she wasn't going to go back into Hogsmede for a special trip on a school night to talk to him about their argument. Let him sweat it out a little bit. She had homework that she needed to work on, that was, after all, part of why she came back to Hogwarts. To learn. And sneaking off to go have sex every other night would put a severe damper on her schoolwork.

To his credit, Sirius must have been thinking about what he did, because an owl showed up the night after their argument bearing a bouquet of origami roses. These earned quite a few sighs from the girls sitting around her, including several from each of the other houses. She loved his gesture, but now she was starting to feel irritated at these girls. She could distinctly remember a few of them talking about how he should be dropped into the North Sea from as high as a broomstick would fly without a wand when he was an escaped murderer. Now she was back to having bagged another handsome bachelor. So much for being defined by her own achievements.

Ginny was wonderful, and quickly became her biggest confidant. As the two girls involved in the two biggest tabloid romances of the moment they often found themselves inundated with questions about what it was like to date the 'rich and famous'. These especially irked Hermione, since she was more famous on her own than Sirius Black, though not by much, but she was now being defined as 'Sirius' girlfriend'.

"Honestly, if I get one more idiotic question from a girl who can't ask without being overtaken by the giggles, I'm going to throw a damn fit," she hissed to Ginny in transfiguration as they were supposed to be making a dog from their desks, then turning it invisible.

"I know how you feel," Ginny responded, looking irritatedly at her dog, which had gone rainbow colored. "If Rita Skeeter writes for an interview one more time..."

"She's writing you for an interview?" Hermione looked up in surprise as her dog suddenly vanished, then knocked over her bag to prove it was still there.

"Yeah. Wants to know about me and Harry, and you and Sirius, of course."

"And she's asking you?"

"Well she can't bloody ask you, considering you promised you'd stamp her with the biggest, smelliest shoe you could find next time she tried talking to you."

Hermione smirked, turning her dog back into her desk again. "So, should I make plans to contact Ron for footwear anytime soon?"

Ginny laughed, this making her dog go see-through, but not totally invisible. "I'm not talking to the woman. She can bugger off. But speaking of Ron, he's invited Kia to the Burrow for a 'getting to know the family' party in two weeks. Mum wants you there, seeing as I might as well call you 'sis'."

"Sounds like fun," Hermione nodded, guiding her wrist in the correct wand movement.

"Bring Sirius. That will make it more fun."

"Oh, sweet Merlin," she sighed. "Did no one think of the implications of letting George and Sirius do business together?"

"Filch will. Rumor has it they're creating a line catering to ways to tick him off completely, as payback for his friendliness with Umbridge."

"As much as I say serves him right, I can't condone destruction of the halls. As a matter of principle, you know, Head Girl and all that."

"Talk to your boyfriend, not me. I have no control over either of them, you have a lot of control over Sirius."

"I do not," she muttered.

"Please. You're a woman. You can withhold sex. Sirius might be able to resist for a while, but I've seen the way you can play the game. You'll wear something tiny and revealing, bat your eyes at some other guy and Sirius will do whatever you want."

She smiled. The redhead had her number.

"So, should I tell Mum you're coming for sure?" Ginny asked as the bell rang. "We have free period now, I'll scribble her a note right here and send it. She's wanting to know how much food to make."

"Yeah, I'm coming. But she always makes too much," Hermione pointed out.

"I think she gets upset if there aren't leftovers. Like someone might have had another gobstone sized vacancy in their stomach that didn't get filled."

Hermione laughed as she packed her bag. Ginny whipped out a piece of parchment and her quill and started scribbling.

"Mum- Hermione is coming for the party. Sirius, too. Hope all is well. Love, Ginny," she dictated to herself.

"We don't know Sirius is coming," Hermione pointed out as they started towards the Owlery.

"Right. You'll be there. You'll be away from school. There's a good possibility of getting laid. He'll be there."

"I'm not sleeping with him at the Burrow!" she turned red.

"If that's where you're sleeping, that's where you'll do it. Though you'll probably spend the night at Number Twelve. It is still his house, even if he's letting Harry live there at the moment."

"You assume an awful lot about my sex life," she muttered as she held the door to the Owlery open.

"Hermione, Hermione," Ginny tut-tutted with a smirk. "What you don't realize is that you're extremely easy to read sometimes. You come back from Australia half on the way to being a complete turnaround of the Hermione we've known for so many years, next to a man standing up tall and beaming and we know you're up to something."

"Harry knew it from the shoes I was wearing," she remembered.

"See? You give away a lot with your words and body language. Though making out on Platform Nine and Three Quarters isn't exactly the actions of a chaste couple."

Hermione stayed silent as Ginny sent her owl along, and they stayed to hand out a few owl treats to some of the friendlier school birds. When the bell rang to signal it was time to get moving to Herbology, they gathered their bags and started making their way onto the grounds.

Neville was always excited about their Herbology lesson, because it was the one subject he could teacher Hermione a thing or two in. In an uncharacteristic move, Hermione had scaled back her study on the subject, opting instead to involve Neville in long talks during their time alone in the Heads dorms. Whatever new plant they were studying today, she was sure he would know what it was and what they were doing in their lesson before Professor Sprout managed to say two words. If Neville Longbottom didn't wind up to be Herbology professor one day she'd be shocked.

The lesson passed quickly, Neville chatting happily about the different types of Flesh Eating trees, while they made sketches and noted how to tell a Flesh Eating Oak from a regular, non moving one. He was still carrying on when the bell rang and they started making their way up to dinner. He stopped in mid-sentence as a group of terrified looking first years ran right into them.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, trying to corral the group before the disentangled themselves and ran off.

"There's a... a... a..." one small Ravenclaw girl stammered.

"A Grim!" a Hufflepuff boy wailed, looking for a way to get around her and continue his terrified plight.

"A Grim?" Hermione groaned, shooting a look at Ginny, who was trying not to laugh. "Where?"

"By the entrance doors. It's just sitting there with something in it's mouth," the boy whimpered.

"Thank you," Hermione said as she turned and started at a brisk walk towards the castle.

"Do you think there's really a Grim?" Neville said nervously as they approached the door.

"No," Ginny replied with a giggle as the giant black dog suddenly came into view. When it saw Hermione it stood, wagging it's tail, something white clutched in it's mouth. "Just a dog looking for a bone," she added as the dog bounded up to them.

"What did I tell you about breaking into the grounds?" Hermione crossed her arms, sounding annoyed. Several students had gathered, obviously impressed by her lack of fear in dealing with a death omen.

The dog shook it's head, clearly saying that he didn't feel like he was breaking any rules.

"What do you have, Black?"

The dog deposited it's parcel in her hands. She unfolded it and saw it was the shirt she had left at the joke shop when she made her hasty exit.

"Thank you for returning this," she said, hastily stuffing it into her bag. "Now go chase a stick or something all the way back to the village."

The dog shook it's head again and sat, staring pointedly at her.

"I told you, stay off Hogwarts grounds," she muttered, trying not to smile.

The dog looked from her, to it's own chest, then back to her as if to say 'Did you expect anything different from me?'

"I'm not letting you in the castle, especially like that. You're terrifying the first years."

The dog let out a series of barks that sounded like laughter.

"Just go," she ordered.

The dog looked for her, to the gates to the village, then back at her with it's eyebrows raised.

"If you go I promise I'll come visit this weekend," she sighed.

The dog shook it's head, then pawed the ground once.

"I'm not coming tonight. I have to finish my Defense Against the Dark Arts paper."

He stared at her, head drooped.

"Tomorrow night. I'll come for dinner. If you go now!"

The dog jumped up, placing its paws on her shoulder, and gave her several quick kisses on the face. She pushed him off, wiping her face as he barked towards her friends and trotted towards the Whomping Willow.

"Wow, Hermione," a third year Gryffindor girl muttered. "You're good with animals."

"Just big dogs. They have a thing for her," Ginny muttered, taking Hermione's arm and steering her towards the Great Hall. "I'm hungry, 'Mione. Can we get food, please?"

"I'm seeing the family resemblance right about now," she responded, allowing herself to be led through the crowd and up into the castle.

"How sweet. He brought your shirt back," the redhead smiled as they sat at the table.

"I think it was very sweet of him," Hermione said defiantly.

"While you're in Hogsmeade tomorrow..."

"No!"

"Okay, okay. So, I'm assuming the paper you need to finish is the thesis for our NEWTS?" NEWT level students had to pick one subject relating to the field they wanted to go into, and submit a lengthy paper that showed how they would use the knowledge they gained at Hogwarts and apply it in the real world. A mock report of a real job that would help them show their abilities to potential employers. Neville had decided to write about growing foreign plants in local soil, and the implications of being able to do so. Luna Lovegood was writing about the line between practicing fortune telling for Muggles and the Statute of Secrecy. Ginny, who wanted to play Quidditch, was writing about the physical and psychological state of those who had been playing the game for years so she might be able to work as a team Healer once her sports career was over.

"Yes. I've almost finished my proposal. I just want to make sure it's polished. It is the most important paper we'll write while at Hogwarts."

"And one of the reasons Harry and Ron were keen to stay away this year. What are you writing about?"

"A study on those who have spent time in Azkaban, noting trends depending on length of stay, and effects on those who have been freed in their regular lives."

Ginny looked at her in shock. "You do know that means you'll have to visit Azkaban at some point, right?"

"I didn't say it was going to be a pleasant subject," she shrugged.

"Sounds an awful lot like a study of Sirius," Neville mentioned.

"He will be a focal point, especially since he wasn't affected because of his knowledge of his innocence."

"If that's what you want to do," he shrugged, looking pleased to be able to write about plants.

"You're nuts, Hermione," Ginny said, spooning trifle onto her plate. "But, then again, who do we know who isn't a little bit?"


	27. Unexpected

**A/N: *Sigh*. I was going to include an adult scene in this. But I work with toddlers. Some days they are adorable, sweet, and eager to play and learn and such. And other days if you're given the choice between them and a tank full of sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads you look at them and think 'it's a nice day for a swim'. Guess which kind of day today was? I was too exhausted to write it. I'll make up for it, I promise.**

**Please enjoy, and I wish a happy toddler type day to everyone who reviewed.**

* * *

The next day Hermione dolled her self up slightly, not so much to raise suspicion, and made her way through the castle, across the grounds, and out the front gates. She wrapped her cloak tightly around her as she walked, carefully listening to the sounds along the path, but there seemed to be nothing more than a few birds around. She made it into Hogsmeade without incident and strode through town to the joke shop.

"Hullo," the same sales girl greeted her warmly as she entered the joke shop. She was one of those people that was easy to instantly like, slightly older than Hermione, cute but no so much she had to worry about Sirius' eyes roving, with a pleasant attitude that didn't push itself into annoying.

"Hi," Hermione smiled back. "Sirius here?"

"He signed out about half an hour ago and went upstairs. Said he was expecting a caller," she winked with a grin as she pointed towards a door at the back of the shop.

"Thanks," she blushed and started towards the door.

"The man won't stop talking about you," the witch called after her. Hermione stopped and turned around.

"What do you mean?"

"It's good, don't worry. He keeps throwing ideas at me as to how to lure you out of that castle to come down and see him more often. I told him to just break in, he said he could do it, but he also said he won't because it would make you angry. I wish I had a wizard like him."

"There's plenty of good wizards out there," she contained another blush from creeping onto her skin.

"Oh, I have a wizard. He's just bloody useless," the witch chuckled. "I'm Chrissy, buy the way."

"Hermione," she nodded.

"Of course you are. You were all over the news a couple of months ago. Bet it must have gotten annoying."

"Fame's not everything it's cracked up to be."

"Ah, well. You better get upstairs before he comes down here looking for you."

"Nice to meet you," Hermione smiled, then turned and headed for the stairs.

"I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of each other. No going home early for me on the nights you're stopping by!" Chrissy called after her.

She opened the door and climbed the narrow staircase behind it. She raised her hand to knock on the door when it flew open before she could make a sound.

"About bloody time," Sirius growled, pulling her in, kicking the door closed behind her, and pressing his lips urgently to hers. His hands held her firmly to him, not roving, not trying to get her out of her clothes. 'Dinner' might not have been an euphemism.

"Miss me?" she murmured against his lips.

"Considering the last time I kissed you I was a little more animalistic I thought I should make it up to you," he chuckled.

"You were just showing off your true nature," she smiled seductively.

"You do that to me, we're never going to make it to the dining room," he raised an eyebrow. "Not that I'd be complaining or anything."

She caught a thick aroma in the air. "Did you cook?"

"I attempted," he smiled. "Turns out those cooking classes at Azkaban leave something to be desired."

"Did you need me to?"

"I got takeaway tandoori. Figured I should have dinner on the table," he shrugged.

"If you want me to cook for you sometime..."

"I'll ask. But tonight I just wanted you sitting next to me, looking incredibly sexy and making me amaze in my luck of having you."

"If that's the case we should probably get to it, then," she said, slipping out of her cloak and handing it to him. She was wearing the gray pleated skirt and white blouse of her Hogwarts uniform, but she had used her wand to make it a little shorter and more form fitting, then added knee high socks and his favorite pair of heels.

"A schoolgirl uniform?" he eyed her hungrily. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you Granger?"

"If I was it'd be exactly the death you wanted," she replied, turning to look around his flat.

"Yes, but I want to enjoy the ride here for a while." He grabbed her hand and led her though the flat. There was a large multi-use area that had a fireplace, couch and a television Sirius had managed to make work. There was a large bathroom with a claw tub, a small kitchen with the blackened attempts at Sirius' cooking soaking in the sink. They passed a closed door which must have been the bedroom before they sat in a small dining room with a table only large enough for four.

"Matching dinnerware. I'm impressed," she said, sitting at one place setting.

"I may be a bachelor, but that doesn't mean I have to live like my mother didn't teach me something about keeping house."

"I thought Black men were typically more the 'marry young and let the wife take care of it' type."

"But I was a Gryffindor, and therefore she had no expectations of me being able to marry anyone acceptable, so the few times I came home for summers she taught me to take care of myself as best as she could while trying to avoid me."

"And she managed to teach you to coordinate things?"

"I am a Black, and as thus I'm supposed to have the appearance that I am worthy of my noble blood."

She looked him up and down as he served their dinners, then asked in a low whisper, "you want to Floo back to Grimmauld Place and take me against your family tree?"

He fumbled the spoon, but recovered before he spilled anything. "Can I get a rain check? Harry's at Grimmauld Place, I don't feel up to making explanations."

"Rough day at work?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.

"George actually expects me to do paperwork, can you believe that?" he smiled.

"It must be so tough," she smiled.

"I'm sure a few inventory sheets and keeping up on the books probably isn't as tough as doing all that work at Hogwarts."

"You should know. You were a student once," she pointed out.

"Yeah... that would have required doing homework. I was too cute for that," he winked.

"You conned some poor girl into doing your homework for you?" she asked in disgust.

"If Moony counts as a 'poor girl'," he smirked. "Not really my type. Too stringy. And that stubble did nothing for his facial features..."

Hermione chuckled. "Lupin actually agreed to do your homework for you?"

"I'll admit James and I were somewhat manipulative at first. Kind of what we were good at. I know, I know..." he added at her look of repugnance. "Moony was a real cool guy, and yes, we did play off his desperation for good friends at first, but we would have stuck around him even if he didn't do our homework. He was the best of us all, if you can imagine that."

"You're all good men. If we judged people on who they were as teenagers there would be very few good impressions of anyone."

"You, Harry, Ron being exceptions."

"Ugh," she grunted. "We've all had our bad points. We're not saints."

"If you listen to the Prophet you are."

"Dig back a year or two. You'll find a much different story," she grumbled, putting down her fork as she lost her appetite.

"You don't need to tell me twice about being bad-mouthed in the press," he followed her lead.

"I wanted to talk to you about that," she said.

"About what, love?"

She took a deep breath, then explained to him about her NEWT paper.

"Does that mean you'll have to visit Azkaban at some point?" he asked after a pause.

"Well, yes, I would have to do a few hours study there."

"No, Hermione," he said forcefully.

"What? Why not?"

"I don't want you anywhere near that place," he said, staring her in the eye.

"But to follow a career in magical law enforcement I should understand our system of punishment."

"Understand that it's a horrible place. I'll tell you all about it. Talk to Hagrid. I just don't want you going. That's not the place for an innocent person."

"Are you saying the guilty deserve it?"

"It's better than some deserve," he slapped the table. "Why they never gave the kiss to my dear cousin is beyond me. Maybe even the dementors didn't want to fuck with her, I don't know. They would have spared a bunch of misery if they had just Avada'd her right off."

"Don't need to tell me twice," she hissed, crossing her arms.

"Azkaban is full of folks like that lunatic, and you had a bit of a taste of the dementors. Why in the world would you want to go?"

"Because I want to see it for myself. If I can get an understanding in the day in the life of the prisoners I might be better equipped to influence our laws and make sure that what happened to you doesn't happen to someone else."

"I went willingly! I as good as walked in and asked to be locked up. There was no contradicting the witnesses, no evidence in support of me. I'd convict me on what they had. I'd hope that if someone killed twelve people with a single curse they'd get locked up without a chance of seeing the other side of those walls."

"You have a pretty conservative view of our justice system," she remarked.

"Criminals deserve to be locked up. Sure, we need better control of the guards, if we did it might be more of a deterrent. And I'm not ashamed in my thought that they should have done away with Bellatrix while they had the chance. Nothing good ever came out of that woman."

"You're an advocate for the death penalty?" she asked in shock.

"Not for everyone, but for someone like her death is better than she deserved, but it's the only way to make sure they don't wind up breaking out," he growled.

She paused for a moment. "If I remember correctly, you started the breaking out trend," she said lightheartedly.

"I wasn't a crazy person," he shrugged.

"Depends on your definition of crazy," she smirked.

He smiled and placed a hand on her knee, fingers running lightly over the hem of her skirt. "I'll give you whatever you want for your paper. I'll talk to you about everything from the bars down the moldy crusts of bread they called our meals. But I don't want you going there. It's no place for someone like you."

"I had wished you'd take me because I want to be there with someone I trust," she looked at him pleadingly.

"You might be able to get me to do almost anything with those puppy-dog eyes and flashing a little skin, but I'm not budging on this one. No Azkaban."

"Fine," she sighed, vowing that this wouldn't be the end of their talking about it, but realizing there was no chance of changing his mind that night.

"How was the rest of school?" he asked, quickly changing subject.

"As always I wind up demonstrating the proper technique in Charms."

"Well, stop being so good at it, then."

"There's plenty of things I'm good at that I don't demonstrate to the class," she said, smiling sultrily at him.

"That's it!" he said, jumping up from his chair so quickly it fell to the ground. "I've had enough of the teasing. Bedroom, now!" he ordered.

She giggled, then tried to look innocent. "What happens if I refuse? Do I get punished?"

"You're already in for it for making me wait since yesterday," he growled, picking her up and carrying her towards his room.


	28. Rogue

**A/N: The idea for where the 'adult interaction' occurs in this chapter came from Padfoodsgrl79. This one's for you.**

**Sorry for the delay. I've had a bit of writer's block when it came to this story. Ugh. Enjoy and please review.**

The next Friday night Hermione and Ginny got permission to Floo back to Grimmauld Place so they could go to Ron's party. Harry and Sirius were waiting for them in the kitchen with dinner already on the table. Kreacher appeared to take their overnight bags upstairs, and the girls sat down to eat.

"How's Auror training?" Hermione asked Harry as he passed her a basket of rolls.

"It's so cool," Harry smiled excitedly. "Right now we're learning rules, there's about ten million of them, but there's lots of practice scenarios. Next week we're going to be taught when we can use the Unforgivables, and after that they're going to teach us how."

"I'm not sure I want to know about that," Ginny scowled. "I don't like the idea of you being in a situation where you might have to use one of them."

"It's part of the job," Sirius pointed out. "Sometimes it's in everyones best interest to finish someone off."

"But why would you need to know the Cruciatus or the Imperius?" she sounded like she was getting worked up.

"The Imperius helped us get into Gringotts. It has its uses," Hermione pointed out.

"And the Cruciatus, well, sometimes you need to get information very quickly..." Sirius started.

"Why do they even bother calling them the Unforgivables, then?" Ginny nearly shouted. "Why don't they call them the Forgivables If You're A Bloody Auror?"

"It's against the Muggles' laws to kill," he said, looking to Hermione to see if she was motioning for him to just drop it, but she wasn't saying anything. "But armies do it all the time. Police officers do it if needed. Hell, in the States nearly every bloody police officer carries a gun. It's to protect themselves and the innocent people. If, as an Auror, Harry has to lob the Avada at some Death Eater out to kill whoever he can get his hands on he better well know those Unforgivables."

"So you're saying it's okay to kill someone if you think they might kill someone if you don't?" she argued.

"If you have a very good reason to believe they will, then yes. I'd much rather a Death Eater snuff it than some poor kid. Though if I was on the squad I'd much rather hit them with a Crucio to bring them down, then hand their ass over to the Dementors with a free ticket to do whatever they want."

"You're horrible, Sirius Black!" she cried. "You would torture someone, then hand them over to get their soul sucked out of their bodies?"

"If they deserved it," he shrugged. "I can think of several who are more than worthy of that particular treatment."

"Don't even get him worked up," Hermione warned as Ginny opened her mouth again. "I talked to him about this last week. He's pro-death penalty and pro-Azkaban."

"For those people who deserve it," he clarified. "I'm not saying lets have a free-for-all chucking into prison. I don't think you should be able to accuse your neighbor of illegally trading dragon eggs and get him locked up in Azkaban if all he really did was kept you up with loud music one night."

"But you think there are crimes worthy of putting people to death for? You believe in eye for an eye?" Ginny looked livid.

"It doesn't work in all cases," Sirius said coolly. "Barty Crouch Jr. tortured Neville's parents into insanity. But he's already insane, so we couldn't return the favor. Does he deserve to be blasted off the face of the earth for what he did? Hell, yes, he does. Though he got the Kiss, I guess that will do."

He had known exactly which name to pull out to stop the conversation. Ginny still had a sore spot over what happened at the final task of the Triwizard Tournament, and mentioning the fake Moody put Sirius' argument into perspective with her.

"How's Hogwarts?" Harry asked, quickly trying to change the conversation and move on.

"It's good," Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "NEWTs are coming up, so we're all studying very hard and working on our papers and such."

"NEWTs are months off!" Sirius groaned in disgust. "What in the world are you studying now for?"

"Some people like to be prepared," she shot back.

"Are we going to be able to have any conversation that doesn't involve us arguing over something?" Harry sighed exasperatedly.

"But this is so much fun, mate," Sirius beamed. "And besides, you want to get 'em riled up. Makes the sex better."

"Sirius!" Hermione blushed furiously.

But he had opened the door and said the 'magic' word. He and Harry now had a singular goal- to finish dinner as quickly as possible and get Ginny and Hermione upstairs as quickly as possible.

Ginny and Hermione had caught on, and had both started eating very slowly, talking about banalities like the weather, trends in fashion, and the latest edition of Witch Weekly. Harry and Sirius had finished before the girls were halfway done, and they were both looking antsy as the girls struck up another conversation about how Hermione was thinking of styling herself.

"Maybe we should just go catch a Quidditch match," Sirius growled in frustration.

"Maybe," Hermione said, waving her hand dismissively. Ginny snickered.

Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather, then started clearing the mess from dinner.

"Oh, damn," Ginny muttered.

"Stay strong," Hermione encouraged playfully.

"What?" Sirius said, looking confused.

"He's doing housework," Ginny giggled. "Nothing puts a woman in the mood quite like a man doing housework."

Sirius jumped up to help Harry.

"It doesn't count once you're let into the secret," Hermione smirked as he took her plate.

"I guess I'll just have to be charming in other ways," he said, giving her a wink. She sucked in a deep breath as she tried to control the wave of desire that had swept over her.

"You know I'm a lost cause," Ginny whispered as the men started washing the dishes by hand, making a big deal over it. "I haven't seen Harry since before school started."

"We're both lost causes," Hermione whispered back with a grin as she watched Sirius mutter something to Harry. "But if we can hold out a little longer they'll have this kitchen sparkling."

Ginny laughed. "Think I should tell Harry there's no bigger turn-on than a shiny, clean bathroom?"

"You've spent way too much time around Fred and George," Hermione shot back.

"A girl needs her role models."

It took Sirius and Harry ten minutes to do the dishes without magic, and another five to get the rest of the kitchen clean with. Once they were done Hermione and Ginny pretended to inspect the place as if their whole night was going to be determined by whether or not they found a spare breadcrumb lying around.

"What do you think, 'Mione?" Ginny asked as they finished their inspection.

"I guess it passes," she said, shrugging her shoulders casually.

Unable to wait any longer Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him quickly from the room. As soon as they were gone Sirius strode up to Hermione.

"Shall we?" he asked, kissing her hand lightly.

"We shall," she replied with a giggle, and she let herself be led from the room. "By the way, what did you tell Harry earlier?"

"That once he goes upstairs he should stay up there for a while," Sirius said as they climbed the staircase to the entrance hall.

"Why?" she whispered as they neared his mother's portrait.

"Because I need down here to be private for this," he said, suddenly turning and pinning her against the worn green curtains of his mother's portrait.

"What are you doing?" she hissed in fear and excitement as his lips started tracing her neck.

"You suggested doing it against the Family Tree. I'm just doing one better," he replied between kisses.

"She's going to wake up," Hermione groaned, starting to not care where they did it as long as he took her soon.

"She can't get the curtains open with your back there. She can holler all she wants, and she'll have a good idea of what's going on, but she won't be able to see us," he said, pressing her firmly against the wall.

She gave in as his lips found the spot behind her ear. Her legs threatened to give way, but even if they had his body weight pressed against hers would have kept her in the upright position. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed herself to him as much as she could with his body holding hers against the wall. She heard something rustle behind the curtain, but she didn't care.

One hand of his steadied himself on the wall, the other hand reached down and lifted her skirt. His fingers ran over her panties.

"It doesn't take you much to get all worked up, does it, minx?" he growled into her ear.

"Shut up, Sirius!" she groaned, pressing herself into his hand.

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled, hand cupping her bum and pulling her body to his. She was lifted onto her tip toes and she had to grab the curtain to keep from falling. He chuckled again and pulled her panties from her, tossing them to one side and returning his hand to her with one fluid motion. His calloused fingers slid over her wet folds, and she stumbled slightly trying to press herself into the touch.

"Trust me," he hissed at her.

"I do," she said, hands fumbling at his tight black jeans. Just as she had pushed them away from his erection he reached behind her, lifted her up by her bum, and wrapped her legs around him. She gasped at the sudden movement, then it turned quickly into an moan as he slid himself into her.

There was definitely some muffled words coming from behind the curtain, but her brain was focused only one Sirius. She gasped with his each of his rapid thrusts, her hands wrapped in the curtain. He opened her blouse and growled.

"No bra today?" his thrusts paused for a moment.

"Thought it might get in the way," she said, grinding her hips urgently against his, begging for him to continue.

He chuckled again as his lips found hers. The hand not supporting himself found her breast, and she moaned into his mouth.

"Traitor scum!" Mrs. Black's voice finally managed to make it through a small crack in the curtains.

"Should I curse her?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

"Moan louder for me, baby," he said, hand tweaking a nipple. "Drown her out."

She obliged as he bit gently on her neck and rolled her nipple between his fingers. He started pounding into her with more ferocity and she couldn't quiet herself. Her legs squeezed around his waist as she began to feel herself nearing climax.

"Come for me, Hermione," he growled as his hand snaked around her back to hold her to him. She could feel his legs shaking slightly with the effort of holding her up and holding back his own climax. She shifted her hips slightly, and that did the trick. Waves of pleasure rushed over her, and she groaned his name loudly one last time. His hand on the curtain had tightened with his own climax, and the other hand left her to help steady himself. His body weight was the only thing holding her up as he leaned against the wall and waited for his breathing to return to normal.

"What a good little kitten you are," he whispered into her hair as he backed off her enough to let her slide her legs down his and steady herself on the floor. Her arms stayed over her head, wrapped tightly in Mrs. Black's curtains, which were fighting to fly open as a muffled string of obscenities flew from behind them.

"Mind helping me get my clothes back on before I let your mum loose?" she asked coyly.

"I rather like you like that, love," he smirked, but he stepped forward to button her blouse back up, taking his time with each button. He lowered her skirt and made sure she was covered, but pocketed the panties he had pulled from her.

"Whenever you're ready," he said, bracing himself for the onslaught.

Walburgia Black's words came quickly and viciously the moment Hermione's hands left the curtains. They flew open with enough force that she stumbled forward a couple steps. He caught her, and they stood, watching his mother scream herself hoarse for five minutes before she needed a rest.

"You know, you could have summed that up nicely with, 'Son, I'm not happy you're seeing a Muggle-born, and I'm very unhappy at your choice of locations for your adult activities'," Sirius said dryly as she took a few deep breaths to get her second wind. "That's what a good mother would have done. Though you weren't worried about being a good mother, at least not when we were locked up in here, were you?"

"You are no son of mine, you blood traitor, you filth, fouling up the house of my ancestors with that Mudblood filth!" she managed to shout.

"Let's go, Sirius. I don't like spending time in around idiots," Hermione muttered, tugging at his hand.

"No. Let's stay. You know, mum, I was thinking of giving her one of the Black family heirloom necklaces. I think the silver and emerald one would look good her eyes, don't you? She has such a pretty little neck," he said smugly, lifting her hair away from her neck and running his fingers delicately over her skin. "But I'm not sure if I should. I wouldn't want to soil it with something that's been around on your scummy skin."

This set off another round of shouting. He wrenched the curtains shut again, then led Hermione towards the stairs.

"That was some display for your mother," she said as she followed him towards his bedroom.

"I wanted to hammer home the fact that you're much more than something I'm using for physical pleasure. Most of the Black men have had Muggle-born girlfriends on the side, that part's nothing new. Mudbloods for fun, purebloods for keeps."

"That's disgusting," she muttered.

"That's old wizarding families," he pointed out.

"So, do you get off on antagonizing people?" she shook her head.

"Merlin, no. She's my mother. It's been a while since I caused mischief on a grand scale, I thought it might be time."

"You forgot you terrified a bunch of first years by making them think there was a Grim sitting outside the castle," she pointed out.

"Unintentional, love," he said. "I have to do this properly," he added as they reached his room, lifting her into his arms and carrying her over the threshold.

"How chivalrous," she giggled as he deposited her on the bed.

"I think that was somewhere in the Gryffindor job description," he chuckled as he crawled into bed beside her. "I have to make sure I'm living up to my reputation as a disgrace of the family."


	29. Overheard

**A/N: There's conflict in this chapter. It wouldn't be interesting if they were always lovey-dovey, would it? You've been warned.**

**Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. You are awesome!**

**And to any readers I have around Chicago- GO BEARS!!!**

* * *

What Hermione had expected to be a small party marking Kia's official entrance into the secret of the magical world had gotten completely out of control by the time Hermione and Sirius had arrived at the Burrow. George, who hadn't been in such high spirits for months, had invited all sorts of former Gryffindor students as well as a few current, plus various Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, so there were at least fifty people running around the outside of the Burrow. Someone had managed to set up an impromptu bar, and Rosmerta herself was pouring drinks.

"Not what I expected," Hermione said, eying the crowd.

"My kind of party," Sirius winked before taking her hand and leading her in. She made them go straight towards Kia, who had just had a glass of Firewhiskey shoved into her hand and was looking at it apprehensively.

"I'm not that big of a drinker, guys," she said, trying to hand the glass back to George.

"I am," Sirius said, snatching the glass and downing it.

"I remember you," Kia smiled. "Sirius Black, right? Ron's told me some fun stories."

"Don't believe half of what you've heard, love," he smiled, then looked around. "I need some more bloody firewhiskey. Any takers?"

"Get me some butterbeer?" Hermione asked.

"Anything for you, dear lady," he kissed her hand before disappearing towards the bar.

"How are you enjoying this?" she asked Kia, who was staring across the field at a couple people who were taking flight on brooms.

"This is so exciting!" she smiled, eyes darting around. "I've been here for a few hours, Ron introduced me to his family before people starting coming over. This whole thing is like out of a movie. I love magic."

"Make sure you keep it all hush-hush," she smiled.

"Mums the word," she pretended to zip her lips. "I don't want to be on the wrong side of those wands."

"Here you go, love," Sirius reappeared with a glass of butterbeer and a rather tall pour of Firewhiskey for himself.

"Have one at the bar, did you?" Hermione asked as he gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Two," he smirked. "But no worries, love. If there's one thing being cooped up in Grimmauld Place by myself taught me, it's how to hold my liquor."

"Black!" George called from the open field, holding a broom. "We need another beater for Quidditch. You in?"

"Coming!" Sirius called. He gave Hermione another kiss on her cheek and downed his Firewhiskey before running towards the pitch.

"Aren't you going to play?" Kia asked Hermione.

"If we feel like having an accident, I'll play. I've never been good on a broom," she replied, watching Sirius mount the broom George was holding and taking off. His face had lit up as the broom raised into the air. She watched him as he took a few laps, a wide grin on his face. Freedom suited him.

"How are things between you and Ron?" she asked Kia as Arthur released the balls into the air to start the game.

"They're good. He's a really nice guy. Fumbling at times, but that's just nerves being around a pretty girl like me," she smiled.

She chuckled. "Good thing you're confident. Many Muggles who marry witches and wizards get a bit of a complex when the secret comes out. Something about not feeling like they're needed or they're the lesser person in the relationship."

"Not me. I may be a Muggle, but I can do things without a wand that Ron couldn't do with. Like cook, for instance."

"Cook for him often?"

"You know as well as I do how much he loves food. So I get to be the wizard in the kitchen, and he gets to brandish the stick and make the mess disappear," she made an exaggerated motion with her hands and Hermione laughed.

"It's not every Muggle woman who could handle a Weasley man."

"I'm not every Muggle woman. Is it true wizards and witches tend to get married early?"

"Many do. Not all. I doubt it's something Ron is going to push you into too quickly."

"I know he wants a big family, lots of kids. I want to have fun, see places before I start something like that."

"It doesn't seem like that odd of a request," she gazed back up at the Quidditch match. Sirius shot a bludger at Seamus Finnegan, who nearly fell off his broom trying to get out of the way.

"Is Sirius wanting a family?" Kia asked, following her gaze. She gasped as Ron made a dive for the Quaffle, knocking it to a speeding Ginny.

"The subject hasn't come up. I think he's just enjoying life right now. I don't think I'm ready to be a mother quite yet, though. I need to finish school and start a job. I'm not one of those girls who thinks that being a mother should be my only job."

Kia accepted a butterbeer from Molly, who was wandering around with a platter of them. "It's weird, don't you think?"

"What is?"

"Mrs. Weasley told me all sorts of stories. She seems to like me enough, but from the way she tells it, she seems to have thought you were a shoo-in for her daughter in law." She took a sip of the butterbeer.

"Does that disturb you?" she asked, looking at her own drink.

"I would have thought, but then I see you and Sirius, and I don't think you're going to be trying to steal Ron from me anytime soon. I think it's just Mrs. Weasley loving you like a daughter, and just wanting you to be an official part of the family."

"You're stuck with him," Hermione smiled. At that moment Harry went into a dive. Luna, who was playing Seeker on the other team, dove after him, but she couldn't catch up. Harry pulled out of the dive ten feet from the ground, the Snitch clutched in his hand. Hermione and Kia cheered, Ron and Sirius had been on Harry's team.

Sirius dove towards the ground, touching down right in front of the bar, taking another shot of Firewhiskey, then carried the broom through the crowd to Hermione.

"Watch the game?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"Bits and pieces," she replied.

"Pity. I need to get you up on a broom."

"Just because I prefer not to fly doesn't mean I can't," she said.

"Put your Galleons where your mouth is," he said, holding the broom out towards her. She stared at him in shock. "If you want, I can get you Harry's Firebolt. I'll teach you."

"Not tonight. You've been drinking. What would I do if you crashed your broom into a tree and messed up your pretty face? I can't be seen with a disfigured man-toy," she smiled, draining her butterbeer and standing up in search of another.

"Man-toy?" he growled, following her towards the bar. "All those times you said you loved me..."

"Are true," she said, spinning around and kissing him before he could finish his sentence. "But you have to admit, you're a pretty face."

"I knew that. I was one of Witch Weekly's Hottest Wizards the year I graduated Hogwarts."

"Which one were you?"

"Two," he said proudly.

"Only two?"

"Bloody Lockhart," he grumbled.

"I bet your mother loved that title," she smirked, looking at him apprehensively as he grabbed another shot from Molly's tray and downed it on one gulp.

"She cancelled her subscription the moment she saw it. Got a bunch of her manic pure-blood friends to do so as well. Said they didn't want to read filth that considered blood-traitors better looking than pure-blood wizards."

"I can't believe she actually read it. That seems almost human of her."

"Pure bloods are humans, too. Her blood was as black and icy as the rest of the family's. They never considered folks like the Weasleys and the Potters pure-bloods. Said they were too Muggle-loving to be true pure bloods, which is why our families didn't intersect much."

"Who knew generations of inbreeding could lead to someone as handsome and charming as you, Sirius?" she smirked.

"You, my little Muggle-born princess, are going to get in trouble with that mouth of yours. You are speaking to hope of the survival of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

"They're in trouble," she giggled.

He strode forward and pressed his lips to hers urgently. She could taste the Firewhiskey on his tongue, and the amount he had consumed made him either not notice the crowd cheering them on, or not care about the audience. But she felt her face going flush and she pushed away from him.

"Cheeky little witch," he growled at her.

"You love it," she replied.

"I do," he said, stealing another quick kiss. "More butterbeer?"

She groaned. "Please, Sirius, tone it down a little bit. There's no rule saying you have to drink yourself stupid at a party."

"There should be," he replied before disappearing into the crowd.

"Having fun?" Ginny and Harry were suddenly right next to her.

"Good party. Didn't expect it, but it's fun nevertheless," she replied.

"Kia is having a ball," Ginny nodded towards her. Ron had his arm around her, she was laughing as Seamus and Dean were having a transfiguration duel with a gnome they had caught.

"That's good. They seem really good together," she nodded.

"And goodness knows it's about time for one of us to live up to our Blood-Traitor title and marry a Muggle," George appeared next to them.

"You could do the honors," Harry pointed out.

"Nah. I've got a witch. Angelina!" he called, reaching out and pulling her towards him.

"Never got over that schoolgirl crush, did you?" Hermione beamed.

"Says the girl dating Sirius Black," Angelina shot back with a grin to match George's.

"What can I say? Older ex-convicts are sexy."

"You forget ex-corpse," she pointed out. "How did he get out of that Veil, anyways?"

"Not a clue, and whenever I try to bring it up he changes the subject."

"Where is the old dog, anyways?" George looked around. "I need to have a word with my employee."

"I wouldn't call him that to his face," she raised an eyebrow.

"I don't. He's my 'Chief Investor'. But he works for me, and I need to tell him off for something. We open at nine, not when he bloody feels like rolling out of bed."

She laughed. "I'll go get him." She wandered through the party, but couldn't find Sirius. She was about to give up when she heard words trailing from inside the kitchen.

"... but it's going well?" Bill's voice asked.

"Yeah. A real firecracker, that one," Sirius chuckled.

"How long?"

"Few months. I give it a few more. It'll grow old soon."

"Have you ever considered marrying her?"

"Right. Like that's ever going to happen," Sirius replied darkly.

"Well, it would guarantee..."

"I'm having fun," Sirius interrupted. "While it lasts, at least. But it's not going to last. It's just me, after all."

Her stomach dropped. She flung open the door to the kitchen to see a surprised Sirius and Bill looking at her.

"Is that how it's going to be, then?" she asked, now aware of the tears streaming down her face.

"Hermione, it's not what you..." Sirius slurred, dropping his glass of Firewhiskey.

"It's exactly what I think. Mudbloods for fun, right?" She didn't wait for a reply. She turned and the spot and Disapperated.


	30. Separated

**A/N: Not the longest chapter, but I really wanted to update. I'm all excited. I went to Harry Potter: the Exhibition in Chicago, and I was blown away. Some of the details, that you would never notice while watching the movies... it's just incredible! I had to come home and write something, and I knew I needed to update this story.**

**While talking about that little outing, I have to tell you... I GOT SORTED!!! They picked two kids and one adult out of my group, I was the adult, and they had me get up, sit on a stool, and put the sorting hat above my head so it was barely brushing. I am a Slytherin (I asked for it because re-reading the books I'm getting way into Snape's story). It was worth the jeers about being a Slytherin. The hubby bought me a keychain and scarf for my 'new house'. It was a blast! If it's ever coming by you, I really recommend you go. It was so worth it.**

**Anyways, off my little advertisement, and on with the story. As always thanks for the reviews, and enjoy. **

* * *

"'Mione?" Sirius said, staring at the spot she had Disapparated from, swaying slightly and looking confused.

"Oh, shit," Bill muttered, placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder supportively.

"What just happened?"

"I think she overheard part of our conversation, mate."

"But... I wasn't saying anything bad about her!"

"You said you didn't expect the relationship to last," he pointed out.

"Because I thought she would wise up and leave me! Not because I don't want to be with her. Hell, I'm the luckiest damn wizard on the planet to have her love me." He sounded like he was about to break down.

"Have you told her that?" Bill said calmly.

"I've told her I love her."

"Not the same, man. She wants to hear your deepest feelings, not the same thing over and over. It makes it sound like you're just repeating the words you think she wants to hear."

"Where did she go? I need to find her!" he looked around in a panic.

"I don't know. She just left. She looked really mad. You might want to give her a day or two."

"I might not have a day or two. I'll go to Hogwarts, she's probably there." He started turning on the spot, but Bill grabbed his arm to stop him.

"No way. You're too drunk to Apparate. You'd probably land in some poor grandmother's living room or splinch yourself."

"But I have to find her! I need to talk to her. I need to tell her what happened!"

"I'll go talk to Harry and Ron. See if they've seen her. But if they don't know promise me you'll let Harry take you to Grimmauld Place and you can go groveling in the morning."

"Whatever. Just go get her!" he collapsed in a chair, his head between his knees, though it was impossible to tell if it was because he was upset or because the spinning room finally caught up with him.

Sighing Bill walked out of the kitchen into the garden. He asked George, who was closest, to keep an eye on Sirius and to keep the Marauder away from any more alcohol. He wandered around the party until he found Harry talking with Ron, Kia, Ginny, and Arthur.

"Harry? A moment, if you could," he asked.

Looking confused Harry gave Ginny his drink and walked over to her older brother. "What's up?"

"You may need to tend to your Godfather for a little while."

"He fucked up in front of Hermione, didn't he?" he groaned.

"Expecting this?" he looked quizzically at the raven-haired boy.

"Expecting that the liquor might catch up to him if he didn't watch himself," he shook his head. "He's not known for keeping his tongue after having a couple."

"He's not known for keeping his tongue at all," he pointed out.

"What did he say?"

"He was telling me how he knew Hermione was much too good for him. And he insinuated that he expected the relationship to end in her dumping him rather than marriage. He seems to have very low expectations of the relationship."

"Hermione is head over heels about him! Why would he think that?"

"The insecurities that come with dating a much younger woman. Is she doing it for the thrill? Is she doing it for the money? When is something younger and much more attractive going to come and steal her heart?"

"Hermione wouldn't do it for the money. He should know that. And if she wanted money and someone younger and more attractive Krum was still interested."

"You know that. I know that. Sirius is still insecure. You're lucky. You know Ginny was crazy about you before you were the Savior and all that, she loved you even when you were unpopular. Sirius can't see what Hermione would ever see in a guy like him. I don't know how much Hermione overheard, he had been going at it for quite a while, but it's obvious she overheard at least some of it."

"He's being a bloody idiot."

"Yeah, I know. And right now he's a drunk bloody idiot who needs a place to sleep it off for the night with someone who won't let him Apparate into the river or something."

Harry sighed. "I'm on it. Just let me tell Ginny what's going on." He walked back to the group, looking slightly irritated.

"What's up?" Ron asked.

"I have to go baby-sit Padfoot. He apparently said something dumb that Hermione overheard and she ran off."

Ginny groaned. "Where did she go?"

"Dunno. Probably Hogwarts. She can hide there."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"Nah. Stay here, have fun. I'll see you later, if you're okay to Apparate," he kissed her cheek. "See you, Ron. Nice meeting you again, Kia."

"You, too," Kia smiled, and she waited until he was mostly out of earshot before she asked what was going on.

"Sirius!" Harry called, walking into the kitchen of the Burrow. Sirius was holding a bottle of clear fluid, wobbly even while sitting.

"James!" he slurred. "Come 'n drink with your ol' friend! When did you get back through the veil?"

"What is that?" Harry asked George, who was standing well away with arms crossed.

"Water," George mouthed, but he said out loud, "Clear rum."

"Come on, Sirius," Harry said, helping him to his feet. "Let's go home."

"Is Hermione there?"

"No. She went back to Hogwarts."

"Then let's go to Hogwarts!" he said, trying to break free. "You've got to meet this girl, James. She's amazing!"

"I'm not James, Sirius. I'm Harry. I'm taking you back to Grimmauld Place. We'll try to talk to Hermione tomorrow."

Sirius considered him for a moment. "You're right. You're not James. He would have taken me to Hogwarts."

"I'm stopping you," he said firmly. "If you want to go in the morning, by all means make an arse of yourself." Without another word he Apparated them both to Grimmauld Place.

"Get off me," Sirius growled, pushing Harry away from him. "How come you all are trying to keep me from her?"

"If you haven't messed things up by now, you'll sure as hell mess them up if you go tromping around Hogwarts shouting to see her!"

His shouting woke up Mrs. Black, whose curtains few open and whose usual stream of insults spewed forth.

"Shut up you miserable, horrible hag!" Sirius roared at her. "If you don't stop shouting right now I promise to make as many half-blooded little Blacks as I possibly can! I know you'd much rather the line die out than to see half-blooded Blacks!"

Surprisingly she paused long enough for him to spit on her portrait and wrench the drapes shut. Without another word, and making as much noise as possible, the older man walked up to his room, slamming the door shut as a finale.

* * *

"Hermione?" Neville asked, entering their shared common room. She was sitting in an armchair by the fire, a large book lying across her lap.

"Neville!" she said, startled. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "You're home early."

"Ginny told me you might need a shoulder, and she can't get into our dorms without me, so I told her to stay."

"That was very sweet of you, Neville. How was your date with Hannah?"

He blushed. "It was good," he said, shortly.

"That's good. Well, I should probably turn in..."

"You don't want to talk about it?" he asked as she stood.

"There's nothing to talk about. Sirius didn't expect the relationship to last, and so I just fulfilled his expectations."

"I believe the whole story is that he expected you to break it off. So, yeah, I guess you kind of did. But that doesn't mean he wanted you to break it off with him."

"If he thinks so little of my feelings for him that he'd think I'd ditch him because he's too old he deserved for me to call it off!" she snapped, shoving her book roughly back on the shelf.

"Have you ever thought he was just sort of voicing his concerns? Everyone is a little unsure of their relationships from time to time. He sees you, smiling, happy, joking with people your own age, and he thinks 'why is she seeing an old man like me when she could have any younger wizard she wants?'"

"I... He... But... I could not!" she finally managed.

"Yes, you could," he replied, blushing.

"Neville?" she said, suddenly realizing something.

"You were always the only one who was nice to me, who didn't make fun of me. What guy couldn't like you after that. But then there was Ron, now Sirius, and, well, Hannah's more my type anyways."

"But you're one of my best mates."

"And you're one of mine. I'd hope that would ever change. And I'd hope you'd be willing to take a bit of my advice."

She sighed and sat across from him.

"I'm giving you this advice as a man. I shouldn't, I'm letting out some of our little secrets. It's like betraying my gender, but you need it. Let him sit on it a couple days."

"Really?" she asked with a giggle.

"You go and take him back too quickly, he'll forget it ever happened and not learn a damn thing. Make him think about it a few days, see what he's willing to do to get you back. If he gives you up, he doesn't deserve you. If he stands outside the Gryffindor portrait hole singing ballads until you agree to take him back... well, we've all thought he's a nutter anyways, right?"

She giggled again. "If he does that, I'll probably ditch him anyways. He knows I'm not into big professions of love."

"Now that I think of it, I'd kind of like him to do that. I'd love to see him getting chewed out by McGonagall. Think I should suggest it to Harry, who could convince Sirius to do it?"

She threw a pillow at him.

"You're a great girl, Hermione. He'll be begging for you back by morning."


	31. A promise

Hermione was having difficulty paying attention to her Potions class. She had gotten three owls at breakfast that morning, each from Sirius, each with a single rose. They had been sweet, begging for her forgiveness and for the chance to talk things over. But she was living by Neville's words, making him sweat it out a little bit. He had hurt her deeply, thinking she would get bored and dump him, that he went into the relationship without any expectations. And Harry had been right when he sent her an owl that morning, too. Sometimes it took drastic measures to get through to Sirius.

Slughorn, who had come out of retirement yet again because of the shortage of teachers, was rambling on about the differences between certain healing potions, and she found no use for the whole lecture. She could find that out by reading the book, and her mind was constantly going over what she was going to say to Sirius when she finally started talking to him again.

There was a knock on the door. Slughorn, looking confused, walked to the door. He had a quick conversation with someone in the hall, then stood back for a house-elf carrying a large bouquet of red and gold roses. Hermione's stomach sank, she knew who the flowers were for.

"These is for you, Miss," the house elf bowed, holding the vase up to her.

"Thank you," Hermione muttered, taking the flowers and trying to shove them as far into the shadows next to her work station as she possibly could.

"Well, well, well, Miss Granger," Slughorn chuckled, looking over the flowers. "You must have some admirer. That must have run him a pretty knut or two."

"Yes, sir," she murmured, then glanced at the flowers again. It was then she realized that the gold roses were not just gold colored, they were made of gold.

"Care to indulge an old man?"

She looked to Ginny, who was barely containing her giggles. "He's a fool if he thinks he can buy my forgiveness, Professor," she replied.

"I see," he winked, and leaned in to speak to her in a low voice. "Make sure to bring him to my Christmas party this year. I'm sure he must be crazy over you to send you that during your class."

"Yes, Professor," she nodded, but she rolled her eyes while he walked away. Slughorn was only interested in her mystery suitor because he was obviously rich. Though he would probably be much more interested if he knew the man who had sent her the roses was none other than the infamous Sirius Black.

"The man is making an impressive effort," Ginny whispered across the table as the class sunk back into its stupor with Slughorn's resumed lecture.

"I mean it. He can spend all his money in Gringotts, I don't want him to keep throwing material things at me. I want him to make me believe he wants to stay together."

"No chance of that if you aren't talking to him," she pointed out.

"I'm giving him a couple days to think," she smirked.

"If he's the typical male 'a couple days' is more time than he's thought in the whole of his life up to this point," she giggled.

"Did you get into a fight with Harry?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No!" she hissed. "He's just not much of one for thinking things through at times."

"Girls, if you don't mind," Slughorn scolded, and they quieted down by looking away from each other. They managed to make it through Potions without any more distractions, and Hermione dropped the flowers off in her dorm on their way to the Great Hall for lunch.

"When are you going to stop letting him stew?" Ginny asked as they sat down next to each other, across from Neville and Luna.

"Maybe tomorrow," Hermione shrugged. "The flowers put me in a good mood."

"You might have a chance before that," Luna said, gazing towards the ceiling.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Isn't that Sirius in the doorway?" she shot a look towards the exit.

Hermione looked, and sure enough the large black dog was sitting just outside the doors, staring at her. He perked up when he saw her looking at him, and his tail gave a little wag.

She smiled and turned back to her plate. "Think it would be cruel of me to make him wait?" she said under her breath.

"Yes, if you don't go talk to that poor man under your own power right now I'm going to drag you over there kicking and screaming," Ginny threatened.

"Fine," she sighed as if in protest. She gathered her things, grabbed a couple sandwiches, and walked over towards Sirius. He stood, tail wagging enthusiastically, as she approached.

"Come, boy," she said to him. They walked across the grounds towards the lake and found a somewhat sheltered and private tree. She sat against it, and moments later Sirius was sitting across from her, back in human form.

"Hermione," he said, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. He was a mess, it looked as if he hadn't shaved or showered, his eyes looked as if he had a couple restless nights, and his clothes weren't matched.

"You look like hell," she muttered, reaching up and pushing his hair from his face.

"I've missed you. I'm so sorry for what I said, it was stupid. I love you, I don't want to lose you, I don't know how I managed to get you in the first place, so you have to forgive me for being insecure. What would a woman like you want with some guy like me?"

"You underestimate yourself," she muttered, pulling him so he was sitting next to her, their hands entwined. "Or overestimate me. One of the two."

"I'll do anything to have you back, 'Mione," he said, reaching over and cupping her face with his hand. "You want to go to Azkaban? I'll take you there tomorrow. I'll even hug a bloody Dementor, if that's what it takes."

Her jaw dropped. "You would take me to Azkaban, even though you're totally against the idea?"

"If that's what it takes to get you back, yes, in an instant."

"What if I told you that I'd take you back without you taking me there?"

"We're back together?" he looked at her excitedly.

"We were never apart," she said, staring deep into his eyes. "I just thought you could use a little time to think about what you said."

"Are you sure you're not a dark witch in disguise?" he asked with a relieved chuckle. "Because that was pretty cruel."

"Sirius, it's not all forgive and forget," she said as be bent to kiss her. "I really felt used when I found out you thought it wasn't going to last, that you were 'having fun while it lasts'. It makes me feel used. I don't want to stay in this if you can't trust me."

He studied her eyes, looking surprised. "Honestly, it's not you I don't trust. It's me and my own big stupid mouth. I've never had a relationship that I cared about as much as this one, so I'm not quite sure of what to do or say. There's a reason James got married instead of me. Hell, even Remus managed to get a wonderful wife, and he was anti-dating because of his furry little problem. Just never thought something like this was in the cards for me. I'm more a flavor of the moment to most girls, and that's suited me just fine up until now."

"What changed it?"

"Dying," he chuckled. "After I came back, and through all those funerals, I got to thinking. What did I leave behind? The closest thing I had to a grieving family member was Harry, to everyone else my death was like 'oh, he's gone and it stinks, next subject'."

"There was a lot going on," she said, looking guilty.

"It's okay, love. You barely knew me, I can't expect you to be sobbing in black over my grave."

"You don't really have a grave," she pointed out.

"Damn. I thought you would have spared me the expense," he smirked, kissing her.

"Still talking," she said, pushing away from him. "Are you serious about taking me to Azkaban? Because you know I really, really, really want to go."

"And I really, really, really _don't_ want you to go. But I told you I would take you, and I will. But only after I see what you hope to accomplish by going. And I'm not really going to hug a Dementor."

"I have my proposal all ready in my room," she said, shooting a look at the castle. "I can show it to you right now."

"You take me to your room, love, and I can't be held accountable for my actions," he muttered, nuzzling her neck and kissing it lightly.

"You keep doing that, and I won't give a damn," she replied with a giggle as he nibbled at her earlobe.

"Exactly what I wanted to hear," he said, standing up and pulling her to her feet. He took her hand and ran towards the castle, but she stopped them before they made it to the steps up to the entrance hall.

"Um, Padfoot," she said, looking at him, then at the people just inside the open front doors. By the time she looked back at him the large black dog was back. He grabbed the sleeve of her robes and tugged her inside the building. They ran right into Ginny and Neville in the entrance hall as they were making their way to their next class.

"Guess I should tell Binns you're not going to be in class today," Ginny smirked with a glance at Sirius, who was smiling goofily at them, mouth still full of Hermione's sleeve.

"I doubt he would ever notice," she rolled her eyes.

"Should I make arrangements to stay away from our rooms for a while?" Neville asked, looking nervous.

"I'll stay in my room, I promise," she said, and she allowed herself get tugged away by the large dog. Sirius let Hermione take the lead after that, and she ran through hidden corridors to get to the dorms as quickly as possible.

"Nagini!" she gave a laughing shriek at the portrait as the dog jumped up and started licking her face. They stumbled through the portrait hole, and the barking laughs turned into human laughs.

"Which one's yours?" he asked, looking towards the two dorm rooms.

"On the left," she said, and he tugged her inside. Once the door was warded he tossed her gently onto the bed, then climbed atop her, kissing her as if he hadn't had the chance to in months. He undressed her deliciously slowly, watching as the fabric of each item slowly moved off her skin, as if he needed to make a copy of the image in his brain.

He started at her foot, and kissed slowly upwards. She felt the fire building between her legs, but she could only watch as he slowly moved further upwards. She realized this was not going to be any quick make-up sex, and she was more than willing to let him take his time.

When he finally made it up her leg he gently pushed apart her thighs, and spent a moment admiring her. Without a word he lowered his mouth to her, tongue running slowly over her, savoring the sight, taste, and smell of her. Her head fell back as her eyes closed, and she focused on the bursts of pleasure and the ache he was causing her.

She wasn't sure how much more she could take, and as if he knew he stopped, disrobed, and positioned himself on top of her. His lips met hers in a light kiss as he entered her slowly. He moved inside her carefully, wanting to take his time. There was no race to the finish this time. He was taking as much time with her as he could get, and it excited her even more to think it.

She started raising her hips to meet his, their bodies in synch with each other, her hands gripping him to her as if loosening her grip might cause him to leave. His lips wouldn't leave hers, his body pressed to hers as much as possible. She could feel him shudder as she ran her hands over him.

She felt her climax building for some time. Though she moved her hips more quickly to encourage him to push her over the edge he didn't comply. It was almost torture, feeling it coming and not having the pleasure crash over her, but in the end it was worth the wait. She finally was unable to continue concentrating on kissing him as she felt every muscle in her body tighten, screaming for the release that finally came with a loud moan.

He didn't stop his movements, though she felt almost too tender to touch, until with a moan of her name he spilled himself into her. He didn't leave her, though, just looked down into her eyes.

"I want you to be mine forever, Hermione," he whispered against her lips.

"Is that a proposal?" she asked in shock.

"That's whatever you want it to be," he replied, kissing her face and neck lightly. "I can't stand to be away from you, to think that we're not together."

"You're mine, Sirius," she giggled as he tickled her with the stubble on his chin. "I'm not letting you go anywhere."

He laid down next to her and pulled her to him, pulling the covers over them to protect her from the drafty castle. "I love you," he muttered sleepily.

"I love you, too," she replied, but he was already lightly snoring. She couldn't sleep against him, however, because her mind kept chanting 'Mrs. Hermione Black'. She wasn't sure if she was ready for it yet.


	32. Darkness

**A/N: This chapter is much darker than the previous ones. But it was bound to come up at some point, right?**

**Sorry for the delay. It's been a difficult chapter to write. I had to do a lot of visualizing, and some research, and none of it was pleasant. And please don't beat up poor Sirius. There will be explinations.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You're awesome. I think I got back to those who left questions, if not let me know I'm an idiot.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything." -Nietzsche_

Sirius hadn't mentioned anything else of a proposal, and Hermione was more than content to leave things the way they had been before their fight. Well, not exactly. Now that she had shown Sirius where the head dorms were and gave him the password he was visiting at least every other night, and often spent the night in her bed with her. But nothing else about living their lives together.

She was sitting in the Great Hall the Friday before the school would empty of most third-years and older making their way to Hogsmeade. There seemed to be little talk of anything else at breakfast, from what sweets they would buy at Honeydukes to, much to Hermione's irritation, a couple fifth-year girls talking about going to ogle Sirius. But he had visited her the night before and she was very secure in their relationship. She had set ground rules when it came to visiting her- he had to wait until after curfew to come into the castle and he had to leave before the halls got crowded with students going to breakfast, always moving as Padfoot.

So it was surprising to her when she saw his tall figure striding through the Great Hall, dressed warmly in a traveling cloak. He didn't look in either direction, making a beeline for her.

"Morning, love," he smiled down at her, but didn't offer any signs of affection, despite most of the students craning their necks to get a show.

"Good morning," she replied, sounding confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I made a promise," he shrugged.

"A promise?" she was now even more confused.

"I promised to take you to Azkaban. I talked to McGonagall, and she said today would be the best day for such an outing. You're excused from your classes."

"Oh!" she said, her stomach tying in a knot. She wanted to go, but she had been counting on a couple days to prepare herself.

"If you don't want to go today, we could try another day," he said, reading her face perfectly.

"No, we can go," she said, standing. "Let me get my cloak."

She rushed through the castle to gather her things. She dumped her books out of her bag onto her bad, taking only a notepad and a pen. She followed Sirius' lead and threw a heavy traveling cloak around her shoulders. She ran back to the entrance hall to find Sirius waiting against a wall, apparently ignoring the throng of giggling girls around him. He pushed himself from the wall and offered her his arm. Without a word he led her out of the castle, onto the grounds where his bike was waiting.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, helping her onto the bike as she looked over her shoulder to see several people craning their necks through windows and the door to watch her.

"Yes. I think it's important for me to understand what it's like," she said.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said dryly. They rocketed into the sky and turned towards the North Sea. They climbed quickly above the cloud cover. She clutched him tightly, but no words were exchanged. He was tense under her grip, and she could tell he was only doing this because he had promised, and he wasn't going to go back on a promise to her, no matter how much he hated the task.

They traveled over the open sea for a while before he dropped down quickly. She let out a squeak of terror and wound her hands into his shirt to keep from sliding off the back.

"We have to approach low," he said, the first words since they had taken off. The tires were mere feet from the waves and as they sped through the thick fog Hermione was sure they were about to slam into a tanker.

But when something came looming out of the ocean it was not a giant boat, but a massive stone building. They skimmed under an archway, which immediately sent chills down Hermione's spine.

"Patronus might be useful," he muttered, hitting the brake. The tires started skidding to a halt, finally coming to rest just on the shore of a rock-covered beach.

"Black," a man bundled against the cold, a silver hawk circling overhead, approached them, not offering any explanations or other greetings.

"Proudfoot," Sirius nodded once, waving his wand, a silver dog much like his Animagus form coming to stand in front of him.

"This why you wanted to come back to this goddamned place?" the man, which Hermione recognized as an Auror, looked at her.

"She's hoping for a job in magical law enforcement. Thinks it would be useful to see our ultimate punishment."

"Not much to see in there," Proudfoot stared directly at Hermione. "Just the insane getting lost further into darkness."

"I want to know what it's like," Hermione said bravely.

He shrugged. "Just giving you fair warning."

They started up the rocks towards the one opening in the side of the building. On either side loomed Dementors, even more menacing as they floated, motionless, just their hoods flapping slightly in the wind pounding the building. She felt a chill come across her as she passed them, but the otter swimming around her knees protected her from anything else.

They came to a set of gates, thick and iron, guarded by another two Dementors. Proudfoot waved his wand, mouthing an incantation, then pressed the tip of his wand to the gate.

"You, too," he growled, and Sirius and Hermione followed suit. "It needs to register who has passed through these gates, in case any more... unpleasantness should occur," he shot a look at Sirius, who had started the breaking out of Azkaban 'fad'. "It checks your magical essence, then re-checks it on the way out. Makes sure the ones who go in are the ones who come out. Isn't fooled by Polyjuice or other disguises."

Hermione swallowed. Barty Crouch would probably still be alive had this measure been in place before he had broken his son out.

The large gate slowly rumbled upwards, and they waited for it to rise completely before walking through it. As soon as they had passed it slammed back down with a thud that caused Hermione to jump.

"You might be better at explaining the lifestyle than I, Black," Proudfoot said. "I'm going to do a few administrative things, got a couple of Death Eaters in last night, need to finish filling out the forms. I trust you know enough you don't need an escort."

"Right," Sirius said grimly. The big silver dog led the way down the nearest corridor, until they came to a large steel door.

"I will not lie to you, Hermione," he said, spinning to look at her before they proceeded. "Some of the people behind this door are the foulest, most evil souls you could ever hope to stay away from. The worst of the worst. And I say that because I know you. You're going to deplore the living conditions they are in. But I don't want to hear it. Most of the people in here deserve every moment they have to spend behind their bars. The few that don't, like Hagrid and myself, well, you would have easily picked us out as innocent because we hadn't gone mad. This place wasn't designed to coddle those sent here, it was designed to punish them severely and keep others from trying what they have done to earn their spot. You will see things that offend you, you'll probably get scared, sad, or angry, and you have the right to do so, but keep it to yourself until we're out of here. Emotions are precious in this place," he finished, gazing pointedly down the hallway at a Dementor gliding past.

She nodded, and he opened the door. It was the smell that got to her first, feces, urine, vomit, rotten food and flesh, and death all mixed together. It nearly knocked her backwards into the wall. Sirius held out a rag for her, and put one over his own nose and mouth before stepping inside.

It took a moment for their eyes to adjust. There were torches on the wall, but they were few and far between. Dementors didn't need the light, and apparently didn't feel the inmates needed it, either. The floor was slick with some sort of substance she had no desire to identify. The ceiling was low, and when her eyes finally adjusted she could see nothing but a long hallway of bars and stone, the occasional body limb sticking out.

She chanced a glance at the first cell. A older, bald man was sitting in it, rocking steadily back and forth on an upturned bucket.

"Our toilets," Sirius informed her. "They got emptied once a day, if we were lucky and behaved. If we didn't they'd let it sit. I'd often throw it out the window. They didn't like me much in here."

In the next cell a witch was staring intently at her fingers, which were drumming an elaborate pattern in the air.

"That is Elisa Druitt," Sirius said. "She murdered her son for being a Squib."

The prang of sympathy that Hermione had felt for the obviously mad woman suddenly dissipated. Without another look at the witch Hermione moved on.

"Mr. Black! Mr. Black!" a wizard at the next cell greeted Sirius enthusiastically. "I knew you'd come back. They all die or come back. Care to partake in my feast? A feast for a king like yourself," he motioned towards a pile of bread crusts in various stages of mold and rot.

"Perhaps another time," Sirius muttered, dragging Hermione to the next cell. Before the man disappeared from her line of sight Hermione could have sworn she saw him reaching for one of the moldier crusts. "Mr. Dobbs. Tortured his girlfriend when he found out she was half-blood instead of pure."

She was already regretting her trip when they came to the next cell.

"My wife!" a man crashed into the bars, causing Hermione to jump back in fright. "You killed my wife! You belong in here, not me!"

A closer look revealed Hermione was looking at none other than Rodolphus Lestrange.

"I... I... I didn't kill her," she started, but Sirius cut her off by grabbing her arm.

"But you were on their side, and they killed her. Just because they said they're doing good they can commit murder and walk free?"

The words shot through Hermione. How many times had a member of the Order told them it was okay to use the killing curse because they were on the 'good' side, the 'right' side? Why was what she was told held in higher regard than what Rodolphus had been told? When was murder 'good' anyways?

"Don't let him get to you," Sirius said, leading her down the hall with a hand on the small of her back. "He was insane when he broke out the first time, hell, he's probably been insane since he thought marrying my dear cousin was a good idea. He's a Death Eater, he's in for the Kiss. He'll do anything to save himself. That's one of the qualities the Death Eaters are well known for."

Her legs were barely willing to walk her to the next cell. Inside was a man, couldn't be more than thirty five, just sitting against the wall. His eyes were staring at nothing, his body seemed limp, his mouth opened with a little drool trailing to his tattered robes. She might have thought he was dead, but he blinked.

"Marcus," Sirius whispered. "He was a Death Eater the first time around, two years below me in school. One day he tried to attack a Dementor that had come to give him our one hour yard time per week. They don't mess around when you do that. He got the Kiss."

Tears sprung to her eyes as she moved on in front of Sirius. He kept up a quiet commentary about life inside the prison as they passed cell after cell of inmates in various states of sanity. The newer they were, the more lucid their shouts. Some of the inmates who had been in for longer amounts of time had given up on screaming themselves hoarse. They sat, conversing softly with the walls, or just staring blankly into the air, all were rocking back and forth, some slowly, some rapidly.

As they neared the end of the hallway Sirius became more and more rigid. At the second cell from the far end of the hallway he stopped and slowly turned. The cell was empty, and looked like it had been for some time. The walls had carvings in the stone, etched with smaller rocks over hours, days, maybe even weeks. She stared at the carvings, trying to figure out why they looked so familiar.

It hit her when she heard Sirius draw a breath. Those carvings were the same as his tattoos. She wasn't sure if he had practiced on the wall before doing the artwork on himself or if he carved the walls to mirror his markings, and looking at his face she knew it wasn't the right time to ask.

Sirius eyed the cell as if staring down an old enemy. He took in every inch, eyes sweeping methodically over every stone. Every trace of the easygoing Sirius had given way to a statue.

Her eyes welled with tears, and she felt a physical illness that had nothing to do with a passing Dementor. Her Patronus started to falter.

"I need to go," she whispered, turning on heel and running down the hall to the taunts of the inmates with enough sanity left to torment.

She didn't stop until she reached the large gate. She didn't want to go through to wait on the cold, wind-swept stone beach. She pressed herself to the wall, feeling the freezing stone through her cloak, breathing hard and trying not to be sick.

"Hermione?" Sirius appeared around the corner.

"I want to go. I need to go. I'm sorry for ever wanting to come to this horrible place," she sobbed.

"Shh," he enveloped her in his arms, but they were stiff, not the arms she had become so accustomed to.

"Human beings aren't supposed to be like this," she whispered. "Is this what comes from a civilized society?"

She felt him swallow, but he only said, "Come. Let's go."

He quickly led her out to the bike, and they put the prison behind them as fast as possible. She clung to him, her tears stinging in the freezing wind. She didn't relinquish her tight grip on him until they had touched ground back at Hogwarts. He swung his leg off the bike and held his hand out to help her climb off.

"Are you okay, love?" he murmured as he brushed a tear from her cheek.

She nodded, but didn't believe it herself. "Will you stay?" she asked.

He gave her a pained look. "Not tonight," he whispered.

She bit her lip as he gave her a quick embrace.

"I love you," he muttered.

"I love you," she replied. She felt his arms leaving her, but didn't open her eyes until she heard the bike revving. She saw the taillight disappear towards the gate, and had never felt more alone.


	33. Support

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Things have been a bit hectic. And it's only going to get worse. Ugh, I'm not looking forward to the next few days.**

**I based Sirius' mood swings on mood swings I have witnessed (and may or may not have had) while someone (or myself) had imbibed a bit too much to forget something that happened that day. I don't advocate drinking to forget or run from your problems, but that doesn't mean I haven't done it before. Don't you love writing based on real life experiences?**

* * *

"Hermione?" Ginny's voice sounded from the doors. "Hermione!" There was the sound of running footsteps and a moment later the redhead's hand was on her shoulder.

"Hey," she managed, tears still streaming down her face.

Ginny didn't say anything at first. She wrapped her arms around Hermione and held her as she finally let out the sobs she had been holding back since seeing the look on Sirius' face as he was looking at his former home.

"It was awful, Ginny. The worst place I have ever seen," she sobbed.

"That's kind of the point," Ginny muttered. "If it was like going to a nice hotel people wouldn't mind going there."

"He didn't deserve it. He was innocent, and he was in that place for twelve years!"

"He didn't fight it."

"I don't know why he didn't. No innocent person deserves to be in that place for twelve minutes, let alone twelve years."

"I know, I know. Where is Sirius?"

She pulled away and wiped her tears on her sleeve. "He left. Said he couldn't stay today."

"Oh, 'Mione," Ginny groaned. "Neither of you should be alone tonight."

"But he wants to be. I don't want to go against his wishes."

"He probably wants to drown his sorrows without you there to nag him."

"He told me he wasn't going to drink anymore," Hermione whispered, but sensing that her friend was completely right.

"He just got a reminder of a third of his life he didn't want reminding of. Hell, more than a third, seeing as he had to spend those years on the run, and he's still treated like a horrible criminal."

"I... I don't know what to do," she stammered. Ginny looked a little shocked, it wasn't something she heard come from Hermione's mouth often.

"You should go see him. Make sure he's okay. Get a Sobering Solution into him if he needs it. And stay with him. He needs someone right now, even if he's not willing to admit it."

"But curfew..."

"Hermione," she groaned. "What's more important? Getting a detention for being out of bed after hours or making sure Sirius doesn't drink himself to death tonight. Besides, I honestly think McGonagall didn't expect you back tonight. She was telling Flitwick he's going to have to wait until Monday to talk to you."

Hermione nodded, gave her friend a quick hug, then pulled her cloak around her and rushed towards the gates.

* * *

"Another, Rosmerta!" Sirius called, waving his empty glass at the pretty barkeep.

"Sirius Black, I've known you to put them away before, but this is your fifth in ten minutes. Don't you think you should slow it down?"

"My dear, if you had spent your day at Azkaban you'd be drinking like a Grindylow, too."

"Azkaban!" she asked in shock. "What in the world were you thinking, going back to that place?"

"My dear lady love wanted to experience it firsthand," he smiled as she poured him another.

"And you took her? Sirius, dear, you should know better than taking a pretty young thing like that to a place like Azkaban!"

"Lighten up, Rosie. She wanted to go," he chuckled, downing half his drink.

"You _should_ have known better," she said sternly, pouring a round for a foursome that had just arrived.

"I'd do anything for that girl, my dear. If she wanted to go live at the bloody place I'd do it. I love her like I never thought I'd love a witch."

"Then why are you here and not with her?" she said, planting her hands on the bar and giving him a reprimanding look.

"Needed a pick-me-up after _that_ little sightseeing tour," he drained the last of his drink and motioned for another.

"No," she said firmly. "You need to take it easy. You're not a young man anymore. And you don't have anyone to make sure you're alright."

"I know I'm old. Hell, had James lived I bet he and Lily would have given the Weasleys a run for their money as to who produced the most children by now. Why didn't I do something like that while I had the chance?"

"Because I said no, dear," she smirked, pulling his glass from him. "Why don't you go home to your girl, get pampered."

"She sees me like this, and I'm in the doghouse, so to speak. Might as well enjoy my free night."

"Or, you could go to her. I'm sure she'll understand."

"You must be cutting me off. It's not like you to deny a paying customer a drink."

"I think you've had more than enough for tonight. If you won't go let your girl take care of you, I'll have to be the one who makes sure you arrive safely. And since I can't walk you home, I'm going to cut you off while you still have the ability to do it yourself."

"You're too good to me, love."

"Take care of yourself. I'm going to Floo that assistant of yours in fifteen minutes. Make sure you get home okay."

He chuckled as he slid off the seat, throwing his cloak around himself and wobbling towards the door. "You lost your chance, love!" he called back at her. "I'm going to marry that witch, by this time next year, I promise! You'll be seeing little Blacks before you know it!"

She chuckled and shook her head as he stumbled into the street. He looked both ways for a moment, then remembered which way the shop was and started walking that way. He stayed close to the buildings, weaving slightly. The street was deserted except for a pretty witch jogging in his direction.

"Sirius!" the witch called, and it took him a moment to realize that it was Hermione rushing to his side.

"What are you doing away from the castle, love?"

"McGonagall didn't expect me back, and I decided not to disappoint," she told him, face falling as she saw him wobbling on his feet. "How many have you had?"

"Don't worry about it, love, it's none of your concern."

"It's plenty my concern if you're falling over just trying to stand," she sighed, throwing one of his arms around her shoulders and started to lead him down the street.

"I'm not that bad, love," he laughed as he pulled her a couple feet out of line with a drunken stumble.

"Sure you're not," she rolled her eyes as she pulled him across the street towards the shop. They entered, and Chrissy looked up.

"Mr. Black?" she asked as he accidentally knocked over a rack of Skiving Snackboxes.

"Sorry," he muttered with a wide grin. Hermione pulled her wand and the boxes jumped back into place. "Rosmerta will be Flooing soon. Tell her I made it, then close up and go home to you wizard. It's a slow night, and doesn't look like it's going to pick up at all. You should enjoy yourself."

"Thank you," she smiled, looking at Hermione, who shrugged at her as if to say 'just go with it'.

It took some time to get Sirius up the stairs, but Hermione managed it without too much of a fuss. She got him into his flat, closed and locked the door, and deposited him on the couch with the intentions of going in search of a Sobering Solution. But he grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap.

"Sirius," she muttered, trying to pull away as he started kissing her neck. "Now isn't really the time..."

"If there's anything I learned from going back to that place is that now might be all I've got. Any moment not spent with you is a damn waste. Let's get married, right now, love."

"You're drunk. You don't know what..." she tried to stand.

"What I'm talking about?" he said, tightening his grip so she couldn't climb off his lap. "I think you'll find just the opposite. I've wasted enough of my life."

"But I haven't wasted enough of mine to be getting married in the middle of the night," she rolled her eyes. "If you really want to marry me, you'll have to do it properly. Ring, white dress, inviting family and friends, the whole nine yards."

He gave her a pout. "That would be really difficult to put together in the next hour or two, wouldn't it?"

"Partially the point. There's plenty of people who have regretted things they've done drunk at midnight, and a good portion of those have stumbled down the aisle and regret it the next day. I don't think you're in any state to be making a big life decision."

"Are you saying that you'd marry me if I was sober?" he looked eagerly.

"I'm saying I'd be much more willing to talk about it. But right now the subject is closed. No more talking of lifelong commitments tonight."

"So talking about kids is out of the question, too?" he beamed.

"Kids!" she gasped, looking shocked. "Sirius, I'm not old enough to be thinking about having kids!"

"But I am, love. And I want little Blacks."

"What did I tell you? No talking about lifelong commitments with liquor in your system," she said, with a tone of finality.

There was a minute or two of silence where he just held her, but stared forward at a spot on the carpet. "Did you see everything you needed to see today?" he whispered painfully.

"Yes," she replied without elaboration, not wanting to make him relive any part of the day. She nuzzled his neck and wrapped her arms around him, just wanting to hold him and to be held by him.

"Why did you come here?" he asked.

"Because I wanted to," she replied, slightly confused.

"I told you I wanted to be left alone."

"I thought you shouldn't be alone tonight."

"You didn't trust me to not drink myself to death, didn't you?"

"No," she defended. "Ginny said that you and I both went through a lot today, and that neither of us should have to deal with all that by ourselves."

"You could have stayed with her, had a shoulder to cry on. I told you not to come."

"Do you want me to leave?" she whispered with a sinking feeling.

He looked up into her eyes, looking conflicted. Her heart plummeted more and more with each moment he didn't answer. She was almost ready to leave, his mood swings were tiring her, but just as she moved to get up his arms tightened around her waist to prevent her from moving.

"Stay," he muttered into her hair. "I just want to hold you tonight."

"You want me to put you to bed?" she chuckled in relief.

"Do I get a bedtime story?" he smirked.

"If you're a good boy and brush your teeth," she rolled her eyes. She tried to get up again, but felt his hand guiding her head to his. His lips crashed into hers in a bruising kiss.

"I love you," he murmured against her lips. "I just hate that damn place."

"It is certainly not my favorite, either," she assented.

"Please, don't make me ever go back there."

"Never," she shook her head.

"And please stay away. I told you it was no place for a girl like you."

"There's not a bloody chance in hell I'm stepping foot in that place again," she grumbled.

He kissed her again, and she could feel his body relaxing as his mouth worked against hers.

"Bed?" she asked.

He nodded. She stood and helped him into the bedroom. She managed to get him changed into his nightclothes. While he was in the bathroom she slipped into one of his t-shirts and laid next to him. He pulled her close to him, and was asleep quickly. She laid in the darkness, visions of Azkaban replaying in her head. She had to get up to light a lamp to keep her thoughts in the room, but in the end sleep did not come. When she made it to the bathroom she saw a small phial with a few drops of dark potion in the bottom. She sniffed it and immediately realized it was dreamless sleep. Sirius had obviously taken the potion to make it through the night. Sighing, she opened up his medicine cabinet, and saw another couple phials with more Dreamless Sleep. She grabbed one, knowing there was no way she would get sleep without it. After what she had seen it might take more than one phial, and her last thought before drifting off was how many times Sirius had taken the potion to keep the nightmares of his past at bay.


	34. Invitation

**A/N: This is a bit of a transitional chapter, but I do reward the lack to true substance with a helping of smut. I didn't want to go two weeks without updating if I could help it, you all have been so patient with my erratic updating. I've planned out my last chapters of this story, and it'll be over before you know it.**

**Remember, way back when, I mentioned the only other man Hermione had been with was Harry, that it was a one-time only thing, and that I would write that story by popular demand? Well, I finally did it. If you haven't read it, it's called 'Dirty Laundry', it is M rated, and it's very much a stand-alone story.**

**So, enjoy, and please leave me a review.**

* * *

More time passed, and the trip to Azkaban only strengthened Hermione and Sirius' relationship. It was now almost a nightly occurrence to see the black dog wandering through the halls to get to the Heads Dorms. If he came in when she was sleeping he didn't wake her, he would slip into bed next to her and hold her throughout the night. With the holidays coming up he was more than excited to get to spend more time with her.

But the holidays were confusing to her. Her family was planning on renting a villa in France for the two weeks she would be off, and were eager for some of the little time they would get to spend with their daughter before she graduated Hogwarts and entered life in the Wizarding world.

As per her mother's request she kept her parents informed on her relationship with Sirius (though she left the sexual aspect out of her letters). She tried to make sure she wrote every couple of weeks, but with her NEWT coursework it was getting more difficult. She had just gotten around to telling them about her trip to Azkaban, and was expecting a sound scolding in the next letter. Thank goodness they didn't know how to send Howlers.

Sirius bid Neville goodbye before giving her a kiss, transforming into the dog, and leaving through the portrait hole. Hermione's one stipulation to his nightly visits was that he and Neville work out the nervousness that accompanied his arrival, and they had done so brilliantly. Sirius answered all Neville's questions about his parents, and even told Neville it was an honor to know such a brave young man. Neville took the rare compliment well and no longer seemed bothered by the appearance of the ex-con.

She and Neville walked to breakfast together, which had become their routine, while she was coaching him in Charms or Transfiguration. They made it to breakfast and sat beside Ginny and Luna, who were discussing a potions project the had stayed up late the night before completing.

"One more day," Ginny said excitedly as they sat down. She had been counting down the days until their departure since the beginning of November. She was more than ready for Christmas, because Molly had invited Harry to come stay with them the entire two weeks Ginny would be home. Molly was ready for Harry to be an official part of the family, though she did insist he still share a room with Ron.

"Make your plans yet?" Luna asked, looking at Hermione.

"I guess I'm going to go to the Villa. Maybe I can convince Mum and Dad to let Sirius visit on Christmas," she replied.

"You make staying in a villa in France at Christmas sound like such a horrible thing," Neville laughed.

"It's not horrible," she chuckled. "I just don't think Sirius should be alone right now."

"Invite him to come with," Ginny shrugged.

"Oh, like Mum and Dad would love that."

"You two are practically living together. I'd be surprised if you didn't get a ring for Christmas."

"Oh, shut up," she blushed. "He probably couldn't come, he'd be too busy with work."

"I'm sure George would give him the time off if he asked, Goerge looks up to him as almost an older brother figure. If not, he could Floo in at night, and George gives all his employees Christmas Eve, Christmas day and the day after off. It's not like your parents haven't met him before."

"They have met him. My Mum's sister and my cousin, however..."

"Quite a crowd at Christmas," Neville nodded.

"Yes, well, we have a small family, so we like to get together."

"Does your aunt have a husband?"

"Yes, they've been married for about four years now. And my cousin has a fiancé that I think she's bringing."

"See, you wouldn't be the only one. I'm sure your aunt and cousin would love to meet Sirius. He is quite charming."

"We'll see," she muttered as the owls flew in. A brown school owl landed in front of her, holding out a letter bearing the elegant script of her mother. She handed the owl some toast after untying the letter from it's leg, and turned the letter over and over in her hands.

"Aren't you going to read it?" Luna asked.

"I guess," she sighed, tearing open the letter and slowly unfolding it.

_Hermione,_

_I warned you about bringing up some of the more unsavory moments in Sirius' past. I'm not surprised by his reaction, but I'm proud that you realized that it was a situation that you two needed to work through as a couple. It shows maturity, and a desire to make things work between the two of you._

_Your father and I got to talking, and we would like you to invite Sirius to the villa to spend Christmas with us. I know that it is short notice, and that it is somewhat of an unusual situation as he won't be able to use magic, but we can tell how important he is in your life right now, and we want to include him in our family events._

_I'm not sure if you'll be able to reply by the time we come to collect you off the train. If not, we'll speak to you about it when we see you. We love you very much, and look forward to seeing you._

_Mum_

"I guess that settles that," she said, folding the letter and stuffing it in her bag. "Mum and Dad want me to invite Sirius to Christmas, so I guess I'm going to."

"If you don't want to spend the holidays with him..." Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"It's not that, it's just that my family are Muggles. And Sirius is so not like a Muggle. I don't know how he's going to do."

"He'll charm them all," she smiled. "You know him, he can charm anyone he wants to do nearly anything he wants."

"Right..." she rolled her eyes.

"You know that if he wanted to, he could charm your cousin's fiancé to leave her for him. He's that damn good."

"Could he charm you from Harry?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I wouldn't want him to cheat on you," she smiled, taking a bite of the sausage.

Later that night, fifteen minutes after the shop closed, the shaggy black dog jumped through the portrait hole and turned into Sirius.

"Good day, love?" he asked, striding forward to take her in his arms and kiss her tenderly.

"Yeah," she said, sitting on the couch and motioning for him to sit next to her.

"Where is Neville?" he looked around.

"He is taking Hannah Abbott to Hogsmeade on a date before we leave tomorrow."

"Good for him. If I had known I would have offered him use of my flat..."

"Sirius!"

"Hermione, love," he beamed, "I can think of no one else who deserves to have a good time more than Neville."

"I think he's trying to take it slowly with her. He really, really likes her."

"I don't doubt it," he smiled again, an almost mischevious smile that made her think he knew something she didn't. "But it's Christmas time, love. And Christmas makes us all a little impulsive."

"Speaking of which, feel like running off for two weeks?"

He laughed. "Impromptu vacation?"

"No, family Holiday ski trip to France."

"Family?" his eyebrow raised. "As in your mother and father?"

"And aunt, uncle, cousin, and future cousin-in-law," she said, biting her lip.

"You really want to introduce me to your whole family?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "You're a big part of my life now, and they should meet you." Especially if all this marriage talk you've been spewing recently isn't just drunken ramblings, her brain added.

He looked lost in thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Let me see if I can't wrangle some time off from George."

She couldn't help but smile. "Really?"

"Mind you, I have no bloody idea how to ski, so I'll probably just sit around and look pretty."

She chuckled. "You're good at that."

"Cheeky little witch," he growled before his lips crashed into hers.

"Neville..." she said anxiously as he began to push her down onto the couch.

"He'll be gone for a while," Sirius purred into the crook of her neck. "I caught him on the way out, and gave him the key to my flat."

"You're horrible!" she moaned as she nipped at her skin, but she was excited they could spend their time together without worry of interruption. She usually kept the noise level to a minimum, despite the silencing charms, because she knew it made Neville uncomfortable to think of what they were doing together.

"You're thinking. Don't think, love," he purred again, slowly unfastening the buttons on her blouse and pulling it lovingly off her body. He pulled her skirt and panties from her, and positioned her in a sitting position on the couch. He knelt before her, parted her legs, and slowly licked up her already slick folds. She groaned and sunk into the couch, giving him better access. He moved his tongue slowly, lazily, tasting her and teasing her, smelling her get more and more aroused at each movement. He sped his motions, causing her head to roll back and her hands to clench in his hair.

He enjoyed watching her face as he tasted her. There was something different about her face as he ran his tongue over her, she didn't have another care in the world, she was totally focused on what he was doing, and he had her at his mercy. He could do this all day, as long as she continued making faces and moaning his name.

Deciding that he had teased her enough he flicked his tongue quickly over her favorite spot. As he expected she let his name escape her lips as her breathing became irregular, her hips started bucking involuntarily, and she finally gasped with her release.

"Get on the rug," he ordered, and she stood and walked to the rug by the fireplace. Without asking how he wanted it she got down on all fours and looked at him expectantly.

"Eager, are we, love?" he chuckled as he slowly got undressed. He positioned himself behind her, and slowly moved his cock into her. She rocked herself backwards, forcing him into her quickly. She continued moving back and forth quickly, and for a few moments he let her do it, extremely turned on by her insistence.

"Patience," he hissed, placing his hands on her hips to prevent her from controlling the action. The fact that she had taken control from him had nearly driven him over the edge, but he didn't want to finish too quickly. He had to make sure she enjoyed herself as well.

He used his hands to guide her on and off his cock, taking it slow until he felt he had enough control to move a little more quickly. He carefully wound a hand into her hair, prepared to let go if she objected, but she groaned in delight. The fact that she was so willing to give herself to him was too much for him. His hips pounded into hers, his other hand wound around her waist to press her fingers to her, and before long he felt himself nearing climax. He was about to slow, to deny himself release to make sure she climaxed again when she clamped down around him. His hand grasped her shoulder tightly as he spilled himself into her.

Feeling exhausted he collapsed backwards against the couch. Her arms wrapped around him in the next moment as her nude flesh pressed up to his.

"Merlin, witch," he said, panting. "I'm never going to keep up with you."

"You're doing a pretty good job," she muttered, craning her neck up to kiss him.

He summoned a blanket and wrapped it around their forms. He questioned her about her family, making sure he knew their names by heart, and enough he felt he could carry on a conversation with any of them without too much effort. They talked under the blanket by the fire until they could hear a voice on the other side of the portrait, at which point they darted to her room, their clothes flying after.


	35. France

**A/N: Ugh. I'll admit, I'm having a bit of a case of writers block when it comes to this story. I knew that I wanted to write this part of this chapter, but I'm still on the fence about the rest of the what I was going to write. But I realized that I haven't updated this in a while, and I wanted to get something to you guys for being so patient. So you get a short half-chapter thing. I'm sorry, and I'm going to try to get the second bit of this up as soon as I can. Transitional chapters, not my favorite, but sometimes necessary.**

**Thanks for reading, reviewing (for those of you who have), and enjoy!**

* * *

Hermione went back to London on the train, agreeing to meet up with her parents there so they could go to France together. Sirius would meet them in France, he had 'no patience' for Muggle travel methods. She thought it would be a good thing to spend some time with her family before her admittedly eccentric boyfriend showed up to spend time with them. He did promise to have Harry take him shopping for clothes, as most of his semi-formal Christmas dinner attire might be suited for a night at Grimmauld Place, but would raise eyebrows around Muggles.

"Mum!" she said the moment she opened the compartment door. Her parents must have remembered that the head boy and girl's compartment was the first on the train, because they were waiting, unperturbed by the oddly dressed witches and wizards around them, exactly where the compartment door was stopped. No one could accuse Hermione Granger of coming across her photographic memory dishonestly.

"Hullo, sweetie," her mother smiled, holding her arms wide for a hug. "Great to see you."

"Good to see you, too," she said, hugging her mother first, then her father. "How is everything?"

"We're ready for a vacation," David smiled.

"Me, too. When does the plane leave?"

"First thing in the morning. How's Sirius?"

"He's showing a remarkable dedication to his work at the moment," she rolled her eyes. Sirius had thrown himself into getting the shop ready for the holiday. He had even left early the night before to go get some work done before he went shopping with Harry. "He'll meet us the day after tomorrow. He says he'll be there in time for dinner."

"Have you made him nervous, dear?" Jean smiled.

"No," she protested, gathering the small trunk she had packed for her time away. "He's made himself nervous. He's never been one to go meet a girl's family before."

"As charming as he is?"

"Why does everyone say that? Are you meeting a different Sirius?"

"Are you denying that he's charming?"

"He is. When he's not infuriating," she smiled as they took their turn to exit the barrier.

"He's your boyfriend. He's supposed to drive you mad and make everyone else think he's the greatest thing on the planet," she smiled at her husband, who looked slightly affronted.

"He's doing a damn good job of it," she muttered, but with a smile. She loved Sirius, and she certainly found him charming and witty, but he knew how to get under her skin better than everyone, including Ron.

"Well, we told your aunt and cousin that you were bringing a gentleman friend. They are quite anxious to meet him."

"Really?" she raised her eyebrow. Her aunt being 'anxious' about anything involving Hermione was a little odd. She loved her niece, but she was much more interested in her cousin and her upcoming nuptials.

"How often does someone bring an ex-felon on vacation with them?"

"Oh, you told them that?" she groaned.

"It was bound to come up. I thought if I told them everything upfront Sirius doesn't have to do all the awkward explaining right after he arrives."

"Now he's just going to have to claw his way up from his bad reputation."

"I told them he was innocent, and that there had been faulty evidence against him that caused him to be wrongfully convicted, and I think that they believe me. But that doesn't mean he's not fascinating."

"He just better not be too fascinating," she breathed as they reached the car.

The rest of their night, and the plane ride the next day, was spent discussing Hogwarts, classes, and her job prospects once she left school. They were excited that she was thinking of a job in Law Enforcement, and not starting Auror training to work with Harry and Ron. They said it would be good for their friendship if they didn't spend every waking minute together, but she knew it was because the survival rate in the Magical Law Enforcement office was much higher than that of the Auror office. It was clear that they had enough of her risking her life.

They were discussing how they had reestablished their dental practice when they made it to the large vacation villa. A second car in the drive showed that they were not the first to arrive. They made their way inside, where they were greeted by Hermione's Aunt Diane, her husband William, her cousin Olivia and her fiancé Blake. She quickly excused herself to go put her stuff away and take a moment to herself before facing her family.

Her and Sirius' room was the furthest from the main area, and that suited her fine. They would be able to perform spells on the room without messing with any of the electronics, and any owls that might arrive on Christmas probably wouldn't be noticed. There was a large bed, a private bathroom, a television, and a small balcony overlooking the mountains.

She sat on the bed, running her fingers over the soft sheets. She had a feeling, deep down in her stomach, that something big was going to happen this Christmas. And she had learned to trust those gut feelings. She just hoped it was something good.

She carefully put her things away, making sure she left plenty of room for Sirius' things. She stowed her wand in her pocket, making sure there was no way her family could see it. She wanted to use magic to help with some of the chores, but she wouldn't tell her family. It was just easier that way.

When she was settled and had some time to take in the view from her balcony she straightened up in the bathroom and went downstairs to help with dinner. She reached the top of the stairs when she heard something that made her stop dead.

"... about time I get away. Christmas rush and all."

"And who is running the shop?"

"George sent Ron over. I think he trusts family more during the Christmas season, anyways."

She couldn't stop the smile that came across her face as she rushed down the stairs to the landing. As soon as she rounded the corner she saw him, smiling, talking to her father. Sirius looked up at her, smiling.

"Hullo, love. Miss me?"

"It would seem it was you who missed me, Mr. Black," she smiled, coming down the stairs. Sensing a lovers reunion was about to happen David walked towards the kitchen. As soon as he rounded the corner she threw herself into his arms and pressed her lips urgently to his.

"I told you that you missed me," he smirked.

"Cheeky bastard," she rolled her eyes.

"You love it."

"I do," she smiled, pressing her lips to his again.

"Do I look okay?" he asked, stepping back. He was wearing simple slacks and a button-up.

"Very nice," she nodded in approval. "Very Muggle."

"Good. I don't like it, so I assumed that it was probably okay. Harry said it was a good first-impression outfit."

"Well, after tonight you can dress more informally."

"Until Christmas. Harry told me that probably more of a dressy occasion."

"Please don't tell me he made you buy a Muggle suit."

"Of course not, love," he smiled. "I brought one of my own."

"One of your own?" she bit her lip nervously, picturing the pinstriped suits and intricately designed waistcoats that were a common part of Sirius' wardrobe.

"Don't worry," he smirked, as if he could read her mind. "If anyone can pull off my suits in a Muggle world, it's me."

"I'm not saying you don't look good in them, but Sirius, that might be a little much for my Muggle family..."

He flashed her a grin that made her knees weak. "I'm not the first eccentric rich person the world has ever know, I most certainly will not be the last."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile. Her parents weren't lying when they said the man was charming. "Just keep it in control, alright? These people have... never met anyone quite like you."

"And they never will again. One of a kind, love."

"Would you like me to show you to our room to put your stuff away?"

"I'll bring it up later. I don't want to be tempted at the moment."

"Honestly, Sirius," she sighed. "You can't go a day?"

"I never said tempted by you. I stayed up all night working on the store so everything was ready for Ron to take over, then I went shopping with Harry so I could come a day early. I'm running on a stay-awake potion. I'm daydreaming of a nice, cozy bed right now."

She put on a fake pouting face, and tried to look insulted by his lack of interest in her.

He chuckled, then held a hand out to brush his fingers gently across her face and into her hair. "I would never say to a romp with you, love," he whispered so no one could overhear him. "It's just that I'm quite fatigued and probably not up to my usual performance."

She pressed herself to him, moved her lips to within a fraction of an inch of his ear before whispering, "you better be planning on making it up to me in the morning."

"You really are going to kill me, you minx," he muttered before turning her head and pressing his lips to hers.

"Hermione!" her mother called from the kitchen. "Could you come help me, please?"

"She sure knows how to kill the mood," she said, backing away from Sirius, who was looking slightly annoyed at the intrusion.

"She's just doing her job, trying to protect your virtue and all that."

"Oops," she said, looking innocent and covering her mouth daintily.

He let out a barking laugh before stowing his suitcase at the bottom of the stairs and following her towards the kitchen.


	36. Charm

**A/N: I'm really sorry for the delay. This is only part of the chapter I was going to post, but I know it's been a long time since the last time I updated. I wanted to get something up, since my updates have been less and less frequent lately.**

**Enjoy and please review!**

* * *

She tried to make their entrance as inconspicuous as possible, but she should have known that nothing was ever easy with Sirius. Though, to his credit, Sirius didn't seem to want to draw attention to himself. He just happened to manage it when her aunt's little dog came running up to him, growling, and without thinking Sirius returned a low growl back.

"He's really harmless," Diane chuckled.

"The little ones aren't quite my thing," Sirius replied, flashing a smile. He was quickly introduced to everyone in the room, then sat on an over sized armchair. He beckoned Hermione to him, and she quickly crossed the room to sit half on his lap, half on the arm of the chair.

"How's school going, 'Mione?" Olivia asked, eyeing Sirius.

"Pretty well. I've started studying for my final exams..." Hermione replied.

"How so very like you."

She rolled her eyes. "And I've started looking into possible careers for when I'm done with school."

"What were you thinking about doing?"

"Well, obviously I'm going to go to university..."

Sirius' mouth down turned almost imperceptibly. They hadn't discussed what she was going to do after her NEWTs, but she knew that his idea did not involve spending time far away from him.

"Possibly to study law," she finished, pointedly looking away from Sirius.

"And what about you, Mr. Black? What do you do?"

"Call me Sirius, dear," he smiled again. "I'm currently working as the manager of a branch of a small business."

"Currently?" Blake asked, raising an eyebrow. "Thinking of changing careers?"

"Running the shop is fun, but I have been talking to someone about changing professions."

It was Hermione's turn to look at him quizzically.

"Professor Francesca is on loan from an Italian school and is wanting to go back closer to his family. McGonagall is looking for a more permanent replacement, and has been leaning on me for a while now. She offered me the position before the start of the school year, but I refused because I didn't want to have a conflict of interest," he rubbed her arm.

"Really?" she was beaming widely.

"I haven't said yes quite yet. I was going to discuss things with you closer to the end of the year."

"What would you be teaching?" William asked as Jean circled the room refilling drinks and handing a couple glasses of wine to Hermione and Sirius.

"Introduction to law," he answered quickly, and Hermione breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"William teaches as well," she said quickly to deflect any questions about Sirius' answer.

"Really? What?"

"Nothing too exciting," William shrugged. "Just primary school, seven year olds."

"It's a fun age," Diane added. "William is always coming home with stories. There was this one time..." she launched into a long narrative about several horror-stories regarding William's students and the toll it took on him when he came home at night. It was easy for Sirius to gauge each family member's place- Diane was the one who liked the focus to be on her and her family, William was polite but took a back seat to his wife, Olivia was the shy type, and her fiancé Blake more the laid-back type. He knew his strongest ally would be Blake, and he would have to be most careful about Diane. When Jean asked Hermione for help setting the table he immediately got up to do it, earning him points with her family.

"Overwhelmed yet?" Jean asked as she handed him a stack of plates.

"Nah, I'm used to a bit of chaos," he responded, checking to make sure the coast was clear before carefully waving his wand. The dishes immediately flew into the dining room and set themselves into place. As a final touch the candles on the table lit and the bottles of wine, which had been opened, chilled themselves.

"Had to do that," he smiled as Jean shook her head and motioned for him to put the wand away. "I'll never be able to last days without doing it, and I'm not one for physical labor if I can get around it."

She chuckled. "They seem to be taking a liking to you."

"Well, I figured it would probably be easier on Hermione if I wasn't my normal, cantankerous old self."

"Sirius, Sirius," she clucked with a smile, reminding him of Molly Weasley. "You couldn't get a group of people to hate you if you tried."

"I beg to differ," he smiled, refilling her glass of wine. "One day let me introduce you to my dear old Mum and any of the rest of the Black family that's left. Save for Andromeda I am not a favorite."

"Yes, Hermione told us you were a bit of a black sheep, pardon the expression."

"My family were bigoted idiots. I'm not sad to see them gone."

"Sirius..."

"I know. To forgive is divine. I might just have to wait a few more years to be able to do that. It was my loving cousin who sent me through that Veil."

"Just try. For Hermione's sake. The brooding, moody Sirius isn't her favorite."

"Don't worry about me. I much prefer the Hermione who is happy with me and not looking like she's about to hex me into next week," he said, popping an errant prawn into his mouth.

Jean laughed and started handing him plates of food to lay out, which he did by hand when Blake came in to help.

"You set the standard pretty high, Black," he muttered, grabbing a bowl of mashed potatoes and following Sirius into the dining room. "If I didn't offer to help I would have looked like the jerk."

"I'm not meaning to make trouble. I'm just meaning to keep in the family's good graces. And keep Hermione happy."

Blake shot him a curious look.

"First rule in life, mate. If the woman isn't happy, you're not going to be happy."

"I heard that," Hermione warned, walking into the room and taking a seat.

"Would you care to debate the idea?" he asked, sliding into the seat next to her and grabbing hold of her hand.

"Oh, I know it to be completely true. I also know you shouldn't say it in front of said woman or you run the risk of making her unhappy," she replied, causing him to let out a signature barking laugh.

Dinner was a prolonged affair, and Hermione excused herself and Sirius as it became evident he was having difficulties keeping his eyes open. She gathered their luggage, and led him up the stairs to their room.

"You did a great job charming your way into my family's good graces," she said, closing the door and using magic to send things flying into the closet and drawers around the room.

"Did what I had to, love," he said, collapsing on the bed. Chuckling she climbed on top him and started kissing him.

"You _are_ going to kill me," he muttered, running his fingers through her hair.

"I just wanted to reward you for being as great as you were. You look like you're about to pass out."

"I feel like I'm about to pass out," he said, kicking his shoes off.

"Get some rest," she murmured against his lips. "We have a long day of skiing and fun in the snow tomorrow."

He groaned. "Can't I spend the day in bed? It's my vacation, too."

"And miss out on the chance to see me in my oh-so-sexy ski equipment?"

"I'm not a fan of snow gear. Too many layers..." he said, his voice fading, before his eyes closed and his breathing became rhythmic almost instantaneously. She smiled, used her wand to change his clothes into pajamas, gently pulled him up so his head was lying on a pillow, changed and cuddled herself up to him, falling asleep quickly himself.

* * *

She woke the next morning to the feeling of an empty bed. She sat up and stretched, glancing quickly out the window. Sirius was out on the terrace, already dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater, leaning against the rail and looking out over the view of the mountains surrounding them.

She slid on her robe and went to join him. He looked over his shoulder as she opened the door, and motioned for her to come stand next to him. His arm snaked around her as his gaze returned to the mountains.

"What happened to staying in bed all day?" she asked.

"It's nearly noon, love," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Really? Damn. Have they all gone already?"

"No. Everyone decided a lie-in was in order today. They're making plans to leave after lunch. Which should be ready any minute. I was sent up here to wake you, but you looked so peaceful I had to let you sleep a little longer."

"Thank you. I guess I needed the rest," she said, pressing herself to him as the wind started getting to her.

"Something Harry and Ron have no doubt been telling you since your first year," he smirked.

"Maybe not so politely, but yes, they did. Are you still planning on skipping out on today's snowy fun?"

"If I am I spent a hell of a lot of money on ski equipment I'm not going to use."

"You? Bought ski equipment?"

"Don't sound so shocked, love. It is a ski holiday," he replied.

"Where is it? I didn't see it?"

"Downstairs with everyone else's. Though I have to say I am slightly disappointed. The ones the shop recommended for me are green and silver. Disgusting." He pulled a face.

She smiled and gave him a kiss. "I guess I'm going to go get ready."

"Meet you downstairs," he said, kissing her again. He went downstairs and she got ready. When she got downstairs he had a plate of food waiting for her. The family was already finishing lunch and discussing their upcoming day on the slopes. She ate quickly, then headed downstairs to gather her ski things.

"I think I'm going to sit this one out," David announced as they were pulling on their things. "My knee is bothering me again."

"Are you sure, Dear?" Jean asked.

"Yeah," he said, looking a little disappointed. "I don't want to aggravate it or hurt it again."

"I'll stick around here with him," Sirius said, standing up and abandoning the new pair of ski pants he had been holding.

"Oh, no, Sirius," David protested. "I'm perfectly fine here..."

"I insist. It's not right for you to be here lonely while everyone else is having fun. Besides, I'm sure everyone would like a day where they aren't teaching me to fall spectacularly on my arse. I'd rather stay here and keep David company."

"Any excuse to stay off skis?" Hermione asked.

"Just being nice, love," he replied with a smile. "Go out and have fun."

She kissed him goodbye and followed her family out the door.

"That's an interesting little development," Olivia said, spinning in her seat in their rented van as William drove.

"What's an interesting little development?" Hermione asked, looking confused.

"Sirius seemed very eager to stay at home with your dad. Perhaps to talk about something..." she said with a pointed glance at Hermione's left hand.

"No!" Hermione protested, heart jumping. "He's just never skied. He doesn't like looking like he doesn't know what he's doing, it would detract from his image."

"His image that would involve a young, pretty girl on his arm?"

"You are way off base," she said with finality, but she smiled to herself. Hermione Black. It was starting to sound more comfortable by the day.


	37. Figures in the Snow

**A/N: I've had a bit of writers block when it came to this chapter for a while, and while playing with my daughter today I got this idea. Hope you like it. Enjoy, and please leave a review.**

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She awoke feeling lips trailing up her arm, a hand running softly over her stomach, and the feeling of extreme arousal, as if whoever was giving her attention had been doing so for a while and her body was already responding. She let off a soft chuckle and received one in return.

"Couldn't wait?" she asked, eyes still not opening.

"It's Christmas. There's some kind of rule saying that we have to do it as many times as possible on Christmas," Sirius replied before returning to kissing slowly up her arm.

"You're going to have to write these rules down somewhere so I can know them," she grumbled, but she didn't refuse as his kisses reached her neck. "Where were you last night?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I went downstairs to watch a little television. That thing is awesome! The things Muggles come up with."

"You could have watched the one in here."

"I didn't want to disturb you, love. You looked so peaceful, I wanted to make sure you were well rested before I ravished you this morning."

She laughed as he nibbled her earlobe, and decided the time for talking was over. She let him press his body into her, hands roaming over body haphazardly as his lips finally crashed into hers, slowly dancing together, slowly igniting a fire between them. He slid the satin nightie she was wearing up and over her head, revealing nothing but naked skin underneath. He growled in appreciation, despite the fact he had seen it many times before.

With the smell of breakfast wafting through the house he knew she wouldn't want to take too long, so he wriggled out of his pajamas, positioned himself between her legs, and gently entered her. She moaned, her fingers tightening into the skin of his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling herself onto him, urging him to move quickly. With a smirk he obliged, then crashed his lips urgently onto hers. She responded by pushing him onto his side, and he pulled her the rest of the way onto his lap. She ground her hips into his, and he lost the ability to think clearly. He could only watch as she put her hands on the headboard and moved as quickly as she could handle on top of him.

Her walls clamped around him, she moaned loudly, and her body started to quake. He took the lead, grabbing her hips and thrusting himself deeply into her until she came with a loud groan. Knowing she was satisfied he let himself spill into her, and held her hips to his as he let his body calm down.

"That was a good way to wake up," she muttered, smirking down at him.

"Very good way," he nodded in agreement. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas. Are we going to go downstairs for breakfast? My mum always makes a big one."

"Of course. Like I would disappoint your family on Christmas," he smiled.

"They do seem to like you," she smiled, climbing off him and making a beeline for the bathroom.

"Good impressions do count for something," he said, summoning some clothes and starting to get dressed.

"And you were worried about making good impressions?" her voice called as she ran water to brush her teeth.

"Of course, love," he chuckled. "Can't expect them to approve of our relationship if I was a big prat now, could I?"

"I guess it wouldn't be fair," she said after she had finished brushing.

"If there's one thing I know, it's that fathers take the idea of you being intimate with their daughter if they like you. If your dad hated my guts..."

"You've got the wand. You could get away from him," she said distractedly as she pulled a brush through her hair. "Ugh. This is impossible."

"I like that just-been-shagged look," he beamed.

"You would," she said, giving up and tapping her hair with her wand. It straightened out and twirled itself into a bun, which she quickly pinned into place. She opened drawers, rifling for something, but became more and more confused looking.

"Do you know where my red sweater is?" she asked.

"Red sweater?" he asked, turning away to button up his shirt.

"Yes. It's Christmas, and I brought that nice red sweater to wear over my dress, and now I can't find it."

"Haven't seen it. Wear the blue one," he said, looking at the one on the top of the drawer as he pulled on a waistcoat.

"Oh, Sirius, you're not..." she started, looking at his clothes as he pulled on a long, tailored coat. The whole outfit was patently Sirius. She tried to look upset at his very not Muggle getup, but she broke out in a wide grin instead. She loved Sirius' eccentric side.

"I could change if you really want me to."

"Never," she smiled, throwing herself into his arms for a kiss. She put on the blue sweater over her black dress and wandered downstairs, where the scent of different baked goodies was nearly overpowering. Blake and Sirius had a time the night before erecting a small Christmas tree, and Sirius had contained all his questions about electric lights and angels on top until they were secure in their room.

"You never did tell me what topped the Black Family Christmas tree," she muttered as they reached the landing.

"Severed elf heads," he shot back quietly, and she suppressed a giggle. "They looked quite festive wearing little St. Nick hats."

"Is that true?"

"Of course not. My mum had no time for trivialities like Christmas. She would actually have to make like she liked me, and that was too much of an effort. Didn't help that I kept getting her subscriptions to Muggle magazines."

She snorted, but they rounded a corner into the dining area, ending any conversations that mentioned the magical world.

"Sirius, you look quite... dashing," Olivia said, eying his outfit.

"It is a favorite outfit of mine," he replied with a smile.

"I think he looks nice. You wear it well," Jean smiled.

"Thank you," he said, holding out a chair for Hermione, then taking the one directly next to her.

Breakfast wasn't a long affair, as the smells through the house had made them all ravenous. Sirius, who hadn't had a real Christmas in many, many years, seemed to get more jovial every minute. Hermione noticed him eying a closed window every so often, and made a note to peek outside as soon as she could do it without getting caught.

"Jean, how do you do it?" William asked, eying the decorations. "How do you get all this done and get some sleep?"

"Sirius did many of the decorations," she said, smiling down at the grinning Marauder, who had done the modest decorations surrounding the house in ten minutes the night before as Jean was finishing cleaning and everyone else had gone to bed.

"It was nothing. The least I could do in thanks for the delicious meal," Sirius smiled, toasting her.

"He can't have had many happy Christmases in prison," Olivia whispered to Hermione.

"Probably why he's so happy for this one," she whispered back, hoping to Merlin or whoever was listening that Sirius didn't break out in 'God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs' anytime soon.

"Might not be the only reason," she said in a soft sing-song voice before clearing both her and Hermione's plates away. Hermione grabbed Sirius' plate and walked around the table, trying to see through the crack in between the window sill and the curtain.

"Another cup of coffee, love?" Sirius' voice made her start. Without waiting for an answer he grabbed the mug and empty plate from her hand and spun her around, pointing her towards the living room with the tree. "Grab us a spot, would you, love?"

Sighing she walked in and sat on the loveseat, straightening her dress and watching as the rest of her family got situated. Sirius handed her a mug of coffee and sat next to her, placing an arm around her. Olivia and Blake passed out presents, and everyone took turns opening and showing off their new goodies. At one point Sirius looked up and caught David's eye, who took a deep breath and nodded.

"Hermione," he started, clearing his throat as his voice hitched for a fraction of a second. "Could you be a dear and open the window? We should let a little light into the room."

"Okay, dad," she nodded. Feeling very excited she got up quickly and nearly ran to the window. She wrenched the curtains open, wondering what kind of gift she would see out there. Instead she saw, about twenty feet out, two snowmen, one of them wearing a very familiar sweater.

"What in the world...?" she whispered. Hands shaking she opened the door, and, not bothering to put on anything to protect herself from the cold, walked slowly towards the snowman. There was the sound of everyone else getting up and rushing to the window. She approached the snowmen. The two figures were facing each other, one standing, the other on it's knee. Her sweater, a pair of jeans, a hat, and a scarf had been fitted on the standing snowperson, some of Sirius' clothes on the other. The clothes fit so perfectly she knew whoever made them had used a bit of magic to keep them perfect and in place. The kneeling figure had a hand extended, offering the standing one a glittering object resting in it's fingers.

"Sirius?" she whispered, turning around, meaning to go look in the house for him, but she found him right behind her. With a wide grin he stepped around her, reaching for the glittering object.

"Need to borrow this, buddy," he muttered, pulling it out of the snow. Hermione could now see it was a diamond and sapphire ring.

"Oh, my God," she muttered, hands flying to her mouth. She glanced back at the house, and saw Jean and David standing in the doorway. Her father's arm was around his wife, and Jean looked like she was fighting tears. She looked back at Sirius, who was now down on one knee and reaching for her hand.

"Oh, my God," she repeated, letting him pull her left hand towards him.

"Dear goodness, Hermione," he smiled. "It's as if I haven't talked about this before."

"Sirius..." she muttered, a tear falling down her face.

"Hermione. Love. I may have been somewhat of an impulsive man in the past, but I had always thought that one day I would meet the right woman, the one who would make me want to settle down. And I have found her in you. I cannot imagine living my life without you. I have never been so happy as when I discovered love with you. Will you marry me?"

She couldn't speak, so she just nodded. He slipped the ring onto her finger, then stood to take her in his arms. She pressed her lips insistently to his, and he didn't hesitate despite their audience. A couple seconds later he tried to pull away, but she pushed herself into him, unwilling to break their embrace.

"As much as I'd love to do what you're thinking, your family is watching," he muttered against her lips.

"Would probably give us away if we went upstairs now, huh?" she murmured back.

"More likely than not. Besides I wouldn't want to deny your mother the opportunity to finally see that ring on your finger. I nearly had to pry the box out of her hand last night."

"I love you," she whispered, kissing him again.

"I know," he smiled back. She gasped as if affronted, but he kissed her again and said, "I love you, too."

It was harder than she thought to break away from his arms to go show her new ring to her family. Hermione Jean Black. Time to start writing it on her school things.


	38. New Years

**A/N: So, I know it's been a while, but I was re-working my outline for (hopefully) the final time. Things are going to go quickly, and the end is in sight. Originally I was going to do more chapters than what I planned, but so many of them were not really necessary, and I was afraid of everything dragging and getting stale. In all seriousness, there will be one or two more chapters involving Hermione being at Hogwarts, that's sort of the pace of the next few chapters. But I couldn't cut everything, so this chapter is sort of the filler.**

**Enjoy, and please review.**

* * *

The rest of their time in France went quickly, and soon enough they were bidding everyone goodbye to go spend New Years with Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Kia. Everyone had agreed that they wanted to spend New Years with each other and celebrate quietly, and secretly Hermione was thrilled for more than one reason. She didn't want all the attention she would get by going out in public, and it was more likely that Sirius would be able to keep his drinking in check in a calmer environment. He certainly hadn't been drinking as much recently, keeping his promise to her, but large gatherings where alcohol would be flowing freely made her nervous. They left the day before New Years Eve in order to spend more time with their friends.

"We're home!" Sirius said, letting them into Grimmauld Place. He must have said it too loud, because suddenly Mrs. Black was awake and spouting her usual bile.

"Aren't we in a good mood today, Mum?" he said, standing in front of the portrait, earning him a new spout of obscenities. "If you care to keep it quiet for a moment, I have big news. You know that Muggle-born woman I've been with that you're so fond of? She's decided to honor me by becoming my wife."

The portrait erupted, but Sirius shut the curtains and drowned it out.

"Must you instigate her?" Hermione groaned.

"There's few things in life I enjoy more. One day I'll figure out to get her off the wall for good, and I won't be able to be the thorn in her side anymore."

"Only a few things?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Most of them involving you," he purred, stepping forward and capturing her lips with his.

"Could you keep it in a room?" a voice sounded on the stairs above them, and they looked up to see Ginny trying to look stern. "We're having games in the library, and we'd like open access to the kitchen."

"It is my house..." Sirius smirked.

"Sweet Merlin," Hermione rolled her eyes and started towards the stairs. "Are Ron and Kia already here?"

"Came in last night," Ginny nodded.

"Really?" she smiled.

"First time they've spent the night together. And they're in really good moods today, so if you want to ask a favor..."

She chuckled as they reached the library. After exchanging greetings they settled on the love seat, watching as Ron trounced Harry in Wizard's chess.

"Fancy a game, Sirius?" Ron asked, gathering his pieces.

"I never back down from a challenge," he smiled. "But first, well, do you want to tell them, kitten?"

Hermione smiled as her friend's eyes all went to her. "On Christmas Sirius asked me to marry him. So I guess we're having a wedding soon."

Ginny squealed, jumping over Harry to grab at Hermione's left hand. Her mouth fell as she studied the princess-cut sapphire and diamond ring. "That's beautiful, Sirius. Nice choice."

"It's been known to happen on occasion," he smiled, wrapping an arm around Hermione.

"When is the big day? Where were you going to have it? Do you need someone to go dress shopping with?" she asked with scarcely a breath.

"Oi!" Hermione said, clapping a hand over her mouth. "We just got engaged. We're sort of basking in the moment right now. We'll talk about all that sort of stuff later, but right now isn't the time for all that. I was thinking we'd hold off on wedding planning until after NEWTs."

She pouted slightly. "I guess I can hold off for a few months."

"Congrats, old dog," Harry said as Ginny and Kia grilled Hermione on the proposal.

"It was the right time, I think," Sirius replied in a low voice. "We've been very up and down recently, but it just made me more determined to make sure I marry her."

"I've been expecting this for a while, though I was thinking you would go grander and more public."

"That's not Hermione. She's had enough of being the center of attention, I thought that something a little lower-key was in order. She liked it enough to agree," he shrugged.

"Are you worried about the wedding?"

"I have a bit of an idea about that, young one," he winked.

"Why is it that I don't have a good feeling about that look?"

"You'll be involved. Soon enough. I have to make a few phone calls. I know how Hermione worried about things, and I want to keep as much stress off her shoulders as possible. She has enough on her plate right now, what with NEWTs, then trying to get a job and all that."

"She'll probably want to hold off on a wedding until she gets all that done with."

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Don't do anything too stupid. She's one of my two best mates, she's been there through everything, and even though you're my godfather you'll be in for it if you do anything to hurt her."

"My dear pup, why would I do something that would jeopardize my idea of filling this place with little Blacks?" he smirked.

"Ugh, see. Right there. The fact that you'd even suggest that you would raise a family here..."

"Not in the slightest. There's several other Black properties scattered around the country, most of them with yards. This one is just closest to the Ministry, so it was our main house."

"Are you planning on telling Hermione about said other houses?"

"She'll be entitled to know about them as a Black. Before we get married I'm going to get them fixed up and let her pick the one she wants to live in."

"You're really planning things out, aren't you?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

"What can I say? I am a changed Marauder," he said with a glance at Hermione, who was laughing while pantomiming a sweater.

"But still a Marauder," Harry pointed out.

"That will never change. And I think Hermione likes it like that."

He couldn't be sure, but when he glanced at his bride-to-be he thought he saw her wink at him.

* * *

On New Years Eve the girls sent Harry, Ron, and Sirius to a Quidditch game, and Kia, who had never seen one, tagged along, leaving Ginny and Hermione working on cooking food for that night. Ginny had spent an hour trying to get Hermione to lay down even a single plan for her wedding, and it took Hermione threatening to throw a dung-bomb in Harry's room to get her to change subject.

"Can I at least ask if you're going to have an engagement party?" Ginny asked, slicing some vegetables.

"Can I stop your mother from throwing us one?"

"She's in a good mood because she really likes Kia, so you won't be being stolen from Ron..."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know. She just had this grand idea of you getting married to Ron, and me getting married to Ginny, and the two of you would be official family members. She just loves you both like her own."

"I love your mother, too, but she can be a tad overbearing at times."

They worked in silence for a little bit, and Hermione could almost hear Ginny ready to explode.

"Will you just come out with whatever you're holding in?" she sighed, putting her knife down and looked at the redhead.

"I have a really good idea on what you can get Sirius for a wedding present," Ginny replied quickly.

"Dare I ask?" she muttered.

"Well, since Ron had to work, so I rode up here with Kia. And we got to doing a little girl talk, and she mentioned this aunt of hers. This aunt does something for a living, and I think Sirius would love it."

"What does she do?"

Ginny smiled excitedly. "She is a..." she started, but there was the sound of a slamming door from above. She sighed, then muttered, "Damn, it must have been a short match. But you love it. I'll tell you later."

Hermione frowned for a second, because she wished Ginny had ten more seconds to say what she was planning for her in the future, but the frown disappeared quickly as Sirius walked in, holding a bouquet of roses.

"What's the occasion?" she asked as he dropped to one knee and held them out to her.

"You stayed behind and cooked lots of delicious smelling food for us. I thought that deserved a little recognition," he said, standing up and kissing her cheek gently.

"I cooked, too," Ginny pouted.

"Oops," Harry looked sheepish.

"Here," Hermione smiled, pulling the bouquet in two. She dropped to a knee in front of Ginny, and smiled up at the redhead, who pretended to swoon. "Thank you for helping me cook, though it would have been easier if we spent more time learning household spells and less time having girl time."

"Girl time?" Ron looked at them curiously.

"What happens during girl time is just between us girls," Ginny winked.

"I'm going to take those flowers back," Hermione grumbled.

"You know you love me, 'Mione."

"I do, redheaded sister figure."

The food was laid out, and raided just as quickly. Then they gathered in front of the television that Harry had installed after hearing Sirius rave about how much he liked the one in Australia. They played Gobstones until Kia, who was by far the worst at it, decided she was sick of washing the foul liquid off herself and they decided Exploding Snap was a better choice.

Right before midnight Harry passed out champagne, the first drinks of the night, and Hermione was shocked that no alcohol had come out before that. The thought that Sirius hadn't had anything to drink made her so excited that she flung her arms around him and kissed him passionately.

"Not that I'm complaining, love, but aren't you supposed to wait until midnight?" he smiled down at her.

"Do I need a reason to kiss my future husband?" she asked.

"No. But I want to do this midnight thing properly," he said, sweeping her off her feet and dancing his lips with hers as the grandfather clock started chiming.


	39. Photos and Light Bulbs

**A/N: I am a horrible person. I know. My sister left, grabbing my USB with this half-written chapter and the start of my next chapter for This Isn't Happening instead of her own. Imagine my surprise when I get Masters level homework instead of my FF stuff when I went to open it. I thought I'd get it back in a week, it took me three and a half. And I put off writing this until I got it back. But that's really not an excuse, more of a rambling apology.**

**If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me. Enjoy, and please review, even if you feel the need to yell at me for being so slow to update.**

* * *

"I cannot believe you talked me into this," Hermione grumbled, pulling the fluffy bathrobe she was wearing tighter around herself.

"Do it for Sirius," Ginny replied, twisting herself on a hovering broomstick, somehow managing to hold on with her legs as her back arced downward. She was wearing what might pass for a Quidditch uniform, if one squinted hard enough. She was wearing the tiniest pair of workout shorts Hermione had ever seen and an artfully ripped Holyhead Harpies t-shirt that barely covered her breasts. A sultry smile painted her face, and there was a flash as Kia's aunt, Bonnie, snapped a picture.

"Very nice, dear," the woman smiled, still looking overwhelmed at what her niece had told her as she escorted Hermione and Kia to Bonnie's earlier in the day. Hermione was going to wipe her new knowledge of magic and the Wizarding world out of her memory before they left for the day, but she had to know for the time being so she wasn't constantly asking questions about floating broomsticks or hair that curled itself into perfect shapes.

"Sirius gets to see it damn near anytime he wants to," Hermione pointed out.

"But you're never going to be this age again. Don't you want a monument to how hot you are?" Ginny smiled while contorting herself into another position someone without years of Quidditch training wouldn't be able to pull off.

"I don't want to see why I have to do it dressed like a randy fairy."

"'Mione," she sighed, looking frustrated. "The fairy isn't randy. The fairy is to show off your ethereal beauty and sense of innocence..."

She snorted. "It's a babydoll and a pair of panties that barely cover my ass. Not quite screaming 'virginal'."

"Just go with it, before I have to Imperius you," she snapped, sliding off the broom.

"You wouldn't..." she hissed.

"I wouldn't. But think of how much Sirius would love to open this on your wedding night."

"On our wedding night we'll have much more important things to do than to look at a bunch of pictures," she grumbled, but she moved towards the fake forest scene Ginny had set up for her. She pulled the robe off, revealing the fairy-style babydoll Ginny had picked out for her. Steeling herself with a deep breath she leaned back against a fake tree and looked at the camera.

"Oh, that will turn him on, looking like I really did Imperius you," Ginny said, rolling her eyes and standing next to Bonnie. "Try to look erotic."

"I don't know how to look erotic."

"Obviously you do, or Sirius would have never fallen for your charms."

"There's something much different about having him standing right there looking at me like I'm irresistible and thinking that I'm about to leave evidence I'm not sure I want sitting around."

"We'll put a charm on it so it's only you and Sirius who can see it. Stop being so melodramatic and pose."

She took another deep breath and tried to think of Sirius. The thought of him the night of her Hogwarts graduation, coming into the bedroom covering himself with her graduation hat and nothing else. A quick smile played across her face, and the camera flashed.

"Woah, I wasn't ready," she said, looking surprised.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Bonny shrugged. "I just saw that look on your face and thought you were."

"You did look good, 'Mione," Ginny smiled as she wandered towards the dressing room.

"I think we may be onto something. Tell me about your man. Where did you meet him?"

She chuckled. Another flash. "In a dirty shack while he was on the run from the law."

The camera fell a fraction of an inch. "Really?"

"Yes," she laughed, and Bonnie recovered to catch the moment on camera. "To be honest I thought he was somewhat of a bad influence. Well, I thought it with good reason. He was a bit of a bad influence, back then. And then when he..." she trailed off, thinking of the day Sirius died. She didn't feel the overwhelming sense of loss Harry did, in fact she felt like it might not be the worst thing that ever happened. Sirius was finally free, in a way, and Harry wouldn't have someone who was so living vicariously through him by pushing him towards dangerous situations. She bit her lip as she thought about what might have brought Sirius back from the veil, back to her. There was another flash that brought her back to the photo studio.

"That was really pretty," Bonnie smiled.

"What were you thinking about?" Ginny asked, appearing wearing her own robe.

"Just wondering why he came back," she shrugged.

"While it was very cute, but let's leave the over-thinking for dinner afterwards, shall we?"

Hermione chuckled, but threw herself into the pictures. She visualized Sirius standing across the room, and things came easier. Ginny gave her cues, having her stand against the tree, then down on the grass and moss-covered rock. She had to admit, it was a nice bit of magic, everything felt real even...

"Merlin's pants!" she screamed, standing up and shaking the spider that had just crossed her hand.

"Oops," Ginny smiled. "I sort of borrowed the tree, grass, and rocks from the forest behind the Burrow. I guess I brought in a guest."

"Or two," she muttered, pulling a pill bug out of a patch of moss. "I think I'm done with this set," she announced, standing up. They had gotten a good amount of good shots, Sirius would not be disappointed. Ginny and Bonnie started setting up near a black couch as she disappeared into the changing room. It took a few moments of meditation for her to put on the next outfit- a corset, panty, stocking, and high-heel set. A few more moments of working up her courage she walked back onto the set to see Ginny posing on the couch in a red and gold chemise.

"How am I looking, 'Mione?" Ginny smiled.

"I think Harry is going to want you to wear that so he can tear it off you," she replied with a smirk.

"Speak for yourself. If Sirius saw that little getup... Feeling a little braver, are you? "

"Just trying to get into the right mindset for my next batch of pictures," she shrugged as Ginny posed for her last frame.

"Couch is all yours."

"Oh, I don't need the couch. I brought my own prop," she smiled, summoning her bag. She rummaged inside for a moment, then pulled out something small. She placed it on the floor, stepped back, and pointed her wand at it, casting an engorgement charm. Immediately the toy sprung up into a full-sized motorcycle.

"You stole Sirius' bike?" Ginny asked in shock, looking at the shiny machine standing in front of her.

"Borrowed it... perhaps without permission," Hermione replied with a sly smile. "Sirius and George are going over their quarterly reports today, and with the way those two fool around Sirius never gets home before midnight, if he comes home at all. I'm sure I can get it back before it's missed."

"Sweet Merlin, perhaps it's not a good thing that you're marrying a Marauder. He's obviously rubbing off on you."

Hermione laughed as she climbed on top of the bike, leaning back against the handlebars and propping one leg up on the back. Taking pictures while on the bike came much more naturally to her, and she had no problems finding her muse or feeling sexy while sitting atop Sirius' second favorite thing in the world.

"Now I know why he calls you kitten," Ginny chuckled as she worked to get rid of the forest scene. "You seem really comfortable up on that thing."

"Practice makes perfect," she replied.

"You two have done it on the bike? He really is rubbing off on you."

"You guys always said I needed to loosen up at Hogwarts."

"And, once again, you took my advice to the extreme. Way to go. Ready for our final surprise?"

"As I'll ever be," she said, looking nervous.

* * *

It was starting to get uncomfortable, how comfortable she felt performing memory charms. There was no problem implanting the false memory into Bonnie's head, as they did want their photographs back eventually. Kia had promised to keep an eye on her aunt and make sure things moved along. She and Ginny had found a little cafe to have dinner at, and neither one was having problems turning heads that night.

"So, it's after graduation. Have you made any thoughts about your wedding now?" Ginny asked as she stirred her bowl of soup around.

"I want it to be a low-key affair," Hermione returned with a sigh. "But it seems to be impossible. The Black family has tendrils in damn near every wizarding family it seems. And according to tradition we're supposed to invite them all."

"To Hell with tradition, you're a bloody Muggle-born, and you have every right to do whatever you want. Have a Muggle wedding if you want to. I think that would be fun to go to."

"I'm trying to convince Sirius to just go to the register and get it done in five minutes, but you know what he's like. Has to make a damn production about everything."

"He's just much more flamboyant about everything. You've calmed him down some, but it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks."

She snorted. "I just don't want every obscure relative from all over the country showing up and being disapproving because I'm tainting the bloodline."

"Hey," she protested. "The Weasleys are related to the Blacks. Some marriage back in the twenties or thirties. No one really talks about it much, it's kind of a shame to both families. But, by rights, we would be there."

"Yeah, you and Millicent Bulstrode, and Marcus Flint..."

"And Draco Malfoy," she giggled. "Don't forget, you'll be family after that ring goes on your finger."

"Don't say that," she groaned. "Or I'm just going to move in and start popping out illegitimate babies. Wouldn't that be great for the Black family honor?"

"The Ferret isn't the worst you an get as an in-law. At least your future husband's cousin is dead."

"Which one?"

"Dear cousin Bellatrix, of course."

She shuddered. "I can just picture the wedding, when they ask if anyone objects. She'd go on for hours, probably go purple in the face and pass out before she gave up."

"Seeing the surviving descendants of the 'Most Noble and Ancient House of Black' there's a good chance she'd have to wait in line to voice her charming opinions."

"I'll invite the Black family, and only that Black family."

"Just Sirius, then? Or should I wheel in dear Mum on a cart?"

"I'd rather have Bellatrix..." she trailed off as realization etched itself onto her face. "I can't believe I didn't see that before!" she groaned, hitting herself on the forehead.

"See what? Or are you having one of those Hermione moments?" Ginny asked, looking confused.

"I'm sorry, I need to..." she said in a hurry, shoving her things into her bag.

"Get to the library? Go. I'll cover your meal this time, but you owe me."

"Thanks!" Hermione shouted as she pelted towards the door.


	40. Treasure Hunt

She stretched against the satin sheets, her nude body sliding effortlessly along the fabric. She looked to her right, the clock said 12:23 pm. How in the hell did she sleep half the day away? She was on day thirty one of her and Sirius' trip around the world, her graduation present from her fiancé. Sirius had woken her up every morning by ten, wanting sex first and then breakfast or lunch, depending on how long their activities lasted. But waking up so late in a hotel in Las Vegas? Something was wrong.

She turned over to give Sirius a hard time about sleeping in, but the bed was empty. She sat up in surprise, looking around. There were no other signs of life in the suite they were staying in- no running water in the bathroom, no sounds of clinking plates or glasses in the dining area, no soft murmur of the television. She grabbed her robe from the floor, then ran through the suite looking for Sirius, but saw nothing. She dashed back to the phone, meaning to call the front and ask the clerk if they had seen him leaving when she noticed the small note posted next to the phone.

_Kitten,_

_I hope I didn't cause too much of a panic when you woke up next to nothing. I didn't mean to cause alarm, but I wanted you well rested for our day. So, why don't you start off with a nice bath, I left everything ready for you in the bathroom. At three you can go pick up your next note from the clerk downstairs._

_Don't worry, love, I promise nothing bad will happen to you. I just want to make this the perfect day for you. I'll see you around eight thirty._

_Love always,_

_Sirius_

"Good thing I didn't sleep too long," she said to the empty room, walking towards the bathroom. The large bath was already filled with warm water, candles glowed lightly around the room, rose petals floated gently on the water, a plate of fruit, scones, and cheeses and a glass of wine sitting next to the tub. Liking where Sirius was going already she slipped out of the bath, letting the still-warm water envelop her and start releasing her tension. Normally she would be on-edge about Sirius' latest bizarre scheme, but for some reason she was more than ready to roll with his flow.

After bathing she got dressed quickly in a pair of jeans and a comfortable t-shirt. At exactly three she approached the front desk, where the clerk was beaming at her, reaching for another note.

"Good luck," the clerk beamed as Hermione tore open the note.

_Kitten,_

_Hopefully the bath was good, and you are nice and relaxed. It's time for a little pampering. Outside is a limo waiting for you, you're booked at a top salon in the area for the full package. Just like old times, right?_

_Can't wait to see you. Love,_

_Sirius_

She walked out the front door to find a black limo waiting for her, the driver holding a placard with her name. The driver helped her in, and she sat in the back, feeling kind of silly riding around in such a big car all by herself. It took twenty minutes to get to the salon, and as soon as she was inside she was whisked to the back for a massage and aromatherapy. After two hours of complete relaxation a stylist named Marco led her to the front, sitting her in a chair and starting to play with her hair.

"Mr. Black was quite specific that you are to have something drop-dead gorgeous," Marco said, studying her hair. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I don't even know what I'm getting a drop-dead gorgeous hairstyle for," she chuckled, starting to feel the stress trickle back up.

"Oh, I see," he said with a knowing smirk. "Well, I think I have the right idea for you."

His hands were quickly pinning up sections of her hair as he worked without telling her what he was doing or why. She just let him go with it, everyone else who was leaving the salon was looking fantastic, and now she was starting to wonder more and more what in the world was going on.

"I saw Mr. Black when he came in earlier. He is quite the handsome man," Marco said as he worked out a tangle.

"Yes, he is," she said, avoiding the urge to nod enthusiastically.

"How long have you been together?"

"A year."

"Is that an engagement ring I see?"

"Yes," she said, glancing down at the sapphire and diamond ring sparkling brightly on her left hand.

"So, any wedding plans yet?"

"No. I'm sort of putting them off. I just finished school, I need some stress-free time before I start worrying about white dresses and floral arrangements. It's just one day, and I do want it to be special, but I don't want to have a breakdown because the table linens are a shade off or something."

"That's a smart girl. I've seen so many girls come in here just after getting engaged, and they're talking about the dresses they've already tried on and how many appointments with vendors they've already booked. By the time they've come in here for their wedding day styles their hair is falling out. They put too much emphasis on their special day and not on the marriage afterwards."

"I'm actually excited to be married. I'll be nice to live together formally and start building a life together. Plus I'll get his playboy behind all to myself."

"Amen to that, dearie. I've been trying to get my boy to settle down for years, but he won't give up that bachelor pad of his..." he chuckled before launching into a story. Hermione couldn't remember a time she enjoyed getting her hair done more, Marco was a great conversationalist and she wasn't surprised to hear his wait list was incredibly long. By the time he was done chatting, brushing, styling and pinning she had an elegant knot on the back of her head, and while she was overjoyed with his work she was starting to get confused. No one wore their hear this well done, even for the nicest of dates. And it was even more confusing when a woman showed up to do her makeup.

She didn't have time to waste as the limo driver whisked her away to a designer boutique. She was greeted by an over-enthusiastic sales woman named Karen pulled her towards a rack that she said Sirius had picked out personally. There were seven dresses, each white or with a white-black pattern. Karen was convinced that they were going to an exclusive nightclub that was having a white party that was going to be well attended by celebrities. Hermione found an all-white empire waist flowing dress that she loved, wondering why Sirius would want to go to any kind of party with Muggle celebrities. She wore the dress out of the store at the insistence of another note from Sirius, along with a pair of white heeled sandals.

At seven forty five she left the boutique and climbed back into the limo, but this time there was a small, wrapped box sitting on the seat waiting for her. She turned to ask the driver where it came from, but he had already closed the door and was walking towards the driver's seat. She quickly unwrapped the box and opened it. Inside was a pear-shaped sapphire and diamond necklace and a matching pair of diamond earrings. Her suspicions were growing by the minute, but as the clock neared eight thirty she knew that she would soon be finding out.

They pulled up at the Paris hotel, and Hermione was shocked to see someone standing under the awning waiting for her.

"Daddy?" she asked loudly to herself, opening the door the second the car stopped and flinging herself towards her father.

"Hi, Sweetie," David said, opening his arms wide as she rushed to him for a hug. He was dressed in a modest suit, which was very unlike him, but she didn't think about it too much in her excitement of seeing him.

"What in the world are you doing here?"

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," he replied, holding out a final letter from Sirius. Her hands were shaking as she opened it.

_Hermione, my love,_

_I'm sure that you've figured things out by now, but if you haven't let me enlighten you; It's your wedding day. At least, I hope it is, because I don't want to look like a complete prat waiting for you at the top of the tower waiting for a bride that's not going to come. If you're ready, come on up. Your Mum, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Kia are waiting, but none more anxiously than I._

_Love always,_

_Sirius_

She was breathing too hard to say anything. She looked back up at her father with tears in her eyes and could see his eyes were also misty as he held a small bouquet of roses out to her.

"Are we going upstairs, sweetie?" he asked, offering her his arm.

In a daze she allowed him to lead her through the lobby to the glass elevator at the base of the Eiffel Tower. People watched her as she passed, and she couldn't help blushing.

"I'm the stereotypical blushing bride," she muttered, the last word sounding unreal to her.

"This is it," he said, stopping at the doors of the elevator. "Either we go up, or we run for it."

She responded by mashing the button repeatedly and impatiently. The stepped inside, and her dad pulled her into a hug as soon as the doors slid shut.

"Feeling robbed of the ability to say goodbye?" she said, trying not to cry.

"Sirius asked for permission to do this at the same time he asked for our blessing," he replied.

"So you've known this was coming since before Christmas? And you went along with it?"

"He did it for you, and to take the stress off most of us. Sirius refused to have anyone else pay a cent for this. He wanted to take all stress off you, since he knows you're getting ready for university and worried about establishing yourself."

"Well, this is very sweet of him," she muttered as they caught their first glimpse of Las Vegas through the glass of the elevator.

"Just don't forget your parents, alright? I know we haven't been as close since you were eleven, but please don't make this the loss of our daughter."

"Nope. You're gaining a son-in-law, who will be a very colorful addition to our family."

"I know," he said, hugging her one more time as the elevator lurched to a stop. She clutched his arms tightly as the door opened. Sirius was wearing a pinstriped suit and bright red vest, and smiling widely at her. standing next to an excited looking Charlie Weasley, who was holding the ceremony book and dressed in a simple black suit. Harry and Ron were also wearing black suits, Harry standing next to Sirius, Ron standing where she would be in a few seconds. Ginny, wearing a gold dress, and Kia, wearing a red, were standing to the side, smiling and holding each others hands and looking excited. Her mother was by the elevator, waiting to give her a hug.

"You managed to keep this from me?" she managed as she clutched her mother tightly.

"It wasn't a challenge. Just keep talking about NEWTs and I had no problems keeping you too occupied for wedding talk," she replied.

"I love you, Mum."

"Love you, too, sweetheart."

She took a deep breath, and turned to Sirius, who beamed even wider as she stepped towards him.

"Everything good, love?" he asked, reaching for her hand.

"It's perfect. I can't believe you planned all this behind my back."

"I told Rosmerta I would marry you by the time the year was out. That would require doing it as some point on our travels. And seeing as I wanted to get this ring on your finger sooner rather than later, I looked for a place where it would be easy to plan this without your knowledge. You wouldn't believe how easy this was to set up."

"Okay, now it's time for you to shut your mouth and marry me."

"Yes, kitten," he chuckled, and they turned towards Charlie, overlooking the brightly lit city below.

The ceremony was short and Muggle, as the guitarist and photographer were Muggles. In the end it took them fifteen minutes to get to the 'I do's'. They recited the traditional vows, as Hermione didn't have time to write her own, and Sirius seemed anxious to get to the 'kiss your bride' part.

After the ceremony they wandered down the restaurant below them, where Sirius and Hermione received a polite round of applause as they walked through to their table.

"We're going to have to do a reception after you return from your trip," Jean said as they were served a round of champagne.

"I'll think about it when we get back," Hermione said, placing her bouquet on the table.

"And you'll get our present when you get back," Ginny said, nudging her with something under the table. She looked down and saw an envelope and a beautifully wrapped parcel she knew were the pictures. She slid the parcel behind her back, then looked down at the envelope.

"What is that, sweetie?" Sirius asked, looking down at her hands.

"If it's what I hope it is, it's the answer."

He looked at her in confusion. "The number forty-two is in there?"

She chuckled, "Good Muggle reference, but no. The answer to why you're back, why you came out of the Veil."

"Open it," he hissed excitedly.

She tore into the envelope, opening it under the table to keep from everyone else's eyes. She scanned it, and a smile crossed her face before her lips straightened into a line again.

"What's is it?" Sirius asked.

"They have a strong suspicion I'm right, but there's no way to prove it."

"Okay, I'm happy they think you're right. Who are they, and why are you right?"

"The Department of Mysteries. Ginny gave me the idea, and I went to the library, and I found some vague references. So I wrote them to get some confirmation, and they said that they've heard of it, and there's a good chance there's one on the Veil, but they've never seen one, and they're not willing to do any tests, for obvious reasons, of course."

"I love you, baby, but you've lost me."

"Okay, people have life debts. I save your life, you owe me, right? And some objects have blood debts, there's a curse on them that won't be settled until they claim enough blood or lives. What if the Veil has a soul debt? You went through while you were still alive, but the Veil had your soul, and it wasn't going to release it until the soul until it was repaid with the soul of the one who sent you through. Bellatrix died, her soul goes through to the afterlife, and yours can finally be released. They won't test it, because testing would obviously require at least one death. But they think that I'm on to something."

"So... I'm alive because my bitch of a cousin is dead?"

"That's the general idea."

He let out with his bark-like laugh. "She must be spinning in her grave! First I marry a Muggle-born, then it's all the biggest Pure-Blood loving creature to ever come out of the Black family's fault I'm even alive to sully our good name. Mum will love to hear this one, too."

Hermione had to quickly explain to the rest of the group. Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Charlie found it just as amusing as Sirius did. David, Jane, and Kia acted as if they knew what was going on.

Later that night Sirius, still ecstatic over getting married, carried Hermione over the threshold of their suite. His lips crashed into hers as his hands reached for the zipper to her dress.

"Wait a minute," she muttered.

"Are you joking?" he growled, his lips moving to her neck as he deposited her on the bed.

"Just a minute. I want to give my gift to you."

"Gift? So you _did_ know..."

"No. It was something Ginny talked me into a while back. She brought it with so I could give it to you," she said, putting the wrapped package in his hands. He eagerly ripped it open.

"Merlin's saggy right... is that my bike?" he shouted in excitement as he opened to the first page.

"I borrowed it," she smiled sheepishly.

"Borrow it whenever you want if this is what I get to see," he growled, flipping through the pictures quickly. "Holy dragon dung.! Are these you and Ginny Weasley?"

"It was her idea," she muttered, blushing furiously.

"Harry getting a set as well?"

"Yeah."

"Well, turnabout's fair play. Any way I can get some of these on a calendar? Hang them above my desk at work..."

"Sirius!" she scolded. "These are for your eyes only."

"Some are for Potter's, too."

"The ones of just me are for you and you alone. Would you really want to share me?"

"Never," he growled, and the book was discarded as he pushed her back onto the bed.


	41. Epilogue

**A/N: So, this is it. I'm sorry it took forever. My computer crashed and took my files, so I had to re-write this. I felt it was a good stopping point for the story, and I felt anything after this would be just dragging things out and boring, so this is the end. Thanks to everyone who has followed this story, and who has reviewed. You all rock!**

Black Manor was a large estate in the countryside a couple miles from Malfoy Manor. The first time Sirius had taken his new bride to it she protested, it was too large, more house than she had time to keep clean. But there he held his first of many surprises- Winky had agreed to come work at the manor, and, after much negotiations, she had agreed to a maximum of twelve hour days, two days off a month, and a sickle a week wages. Hermione had started to protest that this wasn't nearly enough, but Sirius had told her about how much of a fight it had been to get her to agree to those terms, and she stayed quiet. Winky seemed happy to have a house to care for again, and her self destructive behaviors had almost completely stopped.

There were two weeks left before September 1st, and it felt strange for Hermione not to be going back to Hogwarts. It was sad in a way, like moving away from home. But she didn't have much time to dwell on the fact. She had enrolled in a nearby Wizarding University, studying Wizarding Law, and her classes would also start on the first. She had been working hard to get everything she needed together, converting one of the family's many spare rooms into a study area, and updating the library with a plethora of new books that might help her in her studies. The whole time Sirius was being very supportive, and a little secretive.

That morning Hermione was up early, but Sirius couldn't find her, though he would be the first to admit he didn't search too much. One nice thing about being married to Hermione Black, nee Granger, was the safety in the knowledge that if there was ever a witch who could take care of herself, it was her.

Ten o'clock came, and he left for his meeting with George Weasley. He hadn't been back to the Hogsmeade store since he and Hermione had left on their trip. Ron was there, working as the interim manager, though he had no idea that that position would soon be more permanent. Sirius wasn't too fond of running the whole business aspect of the shop, he liked relying on the goblins to deal with his money and not having to worry about it in the slightest.

He got home at four, the meeting running much longer than he thought. Bloody paperwork. As much of a prankster as George was, he wanted to make sure everything was eventually done by the book. The boy had a surprising mind for business.

He didn't see or hear Hermione immediately, so he walked up the stairs to where he was almost positive that she would be, and his hunch didn't disappoint. He quietly opened the door to the library, and was greeted with the sight of her curled up on the couch, a book spread across her lap. Her brow was furrowed slightly, and she was gently nibbling on her bottom lip, the sign she was really engrossed in what she was reading. He leaned forward a little, but couldn't catch the title of the book.

"Knock, knock, love," he said, sauntering into the room.

"Afternoon, sweetheart," she smiled back, putting the book down on the table next to her. Whether she had meant to place the book title side down was suspicious, she did look careful about it's placement, but that could always been attributed to her love of anything involving the written word.

"Good day today?" he asked.

An almost mischievous smile played across her lips, and he felt slightly concerned. "An excellent day today," she replied.

"What did you do? You were gone early."

"Oh, just a few errands," she said vaguely, and the pit in his stomach grew. "How did your meeting go?"

"It went well."

"I thought so. By the way, you got an owl," she said, nodding towards a letter on the table.

From across the room he could see the Hogwarts crest adorning the outside of the envelope.

"Oh, right," he muttered, summoning the envelope. "Did you read it?"

"Of course not. It's your mail," she shrugged.

He mumbled something unintelligible in response, and shoved the letter in his pocket. He had a good idea of what it was about, and it was high time to confess everything to Hermione.

"Can I talk to you, love?" he asked, scooting closer to her and taking her hand.

She smiled knowingly and nodded, eyes locking onto his.

"I quit my job today," he said.

She nodded like this was no big surprise.

"You're not upset?"

"Why would I be?" she shrugged. "You're obscenely rich, you have the opportunity to do whatever you want, even if it's nothing."

"I'm still a little young to be doing nothing, kitten," he purred into her hair.

"Whatever you say, old man," she giggled.

"Cheeky little witch," he smiled, kissing her cheek.

"I'm assuming you have an idea of what you're going to do, if you've already quit."

"Yes, well, there was a position I had to turn down last year in the interest of being able to be with you without people talking about how scandalous it might be."

"So, you're the new DADA professor," she stated.

"How did you...?" he asked in surprise.

"I sort of figured it out when the Hogwarts letter came. I went to get some money out of our Gringotts account earlier, and the number was higher than I thought we had, so I asked to look at our ledger, and saw that George had made a payment, much larger than your normal paycheck, and I realized he must be in the process of paying back the loan for the Hogsmeade store. So I figured you would be quitting. And then the Hogwarts letter came addressed to you, and I figured it was either information on your new job, or a reunion of sorts, and I doubt they do 21-year get-togethers."

"Brightest witch I've ever met," he chuckled.

"I know," she replied with a smile. "Do you have everything you need together? Do you need help setting up grading, class schedules, curriculum..."

"Love," he interrupted. "Do you honestly think that Minerva McGonagall has not been riding me regarding the same things? I'm good. Everything has been set for a while, since I agreed to take the position back in February."

"That long?"

"Yes. She knew the position was going to be open, and she knew I would be interested as soon as you weren't a student anymore, so she contacted me. I started talking to George, who said that Ron was interested in helping him, and that we would start making the transition as soon as Ron graduated. It's been pretty seamless, and Ron is enjoying himself enough that it's probably not going to take much to convince him to make his position permanent. So George and I hammered out a repayment plan for the investment I made, and today I finished signing the paperwork, and he had the first of the payments moved to my Gringotts account."

"That's really smart of you," she beamed.

"I have it in me on occasion. Now, where were you off to on this beautiful day?"

"Just out and about. I did a little shopping, went out to eat with Ginny, went to a healer visit..."

"Healer?" his brow furrowed in concern. "Is something wrong."

She placed a hand on his face and gazed intensely into his eyes. "Nothing is wrong. I promise. It was a routine visit."

"A routine visit for what?"

She pretended she didn't hear him. "I have something I want to show you," she said, standing up quickly. She grabbed his hand and pulled him from the room, turning towards their master bedroom. He was about to comment about how he liked her thinking when she stopped.

"No peeking," she said, turning him towards an empty guest room and placing her hands over his eyes.

"Did you convert the guest room into a sex dungeon?" he teased.

She took her hand off his eyes to slap him across the back of the head. "You're awful, Sirius Black," she muttered as she replaced the hand over his eyes, and he could tell she was rolling her eyes at him.

"You know you love me," he shot back as he heard the door swing open before him.

"Sometimes I wonder why," she giggled as she pushed him into the room. He walked forward a few paces, until she tugged him to get him to stop.

"Am I allowed to look now?"

"Yes," she replied, taking her hands off his eyes. He opened them excitedly, and his eyes swept around the room. Winky was just finishing painting the walls a Gryffindor red. A rocker had been placed in one corner, a large, unopened box sitting next to it. A dresser he recognized as the one that used to sit in his room at Grimmauld Place was waiting, the stuff to refurbish the old piece of furniture sitting atop it.

"I wanted your input on where to put it," she said, motioning towards the box. He walked curiously up to it, and turned his head to read what was written on the side. '4-Way Convertible Crib'.

His head shot up, his mouth falling open. He looked at Hermione, at a loss for words.

"The rest of the furniture is getting delivered tomorrow," she smiled.

"You're..." he started, but he could hardly dare to say it.

"Six and a half weeks," she nodded. "A boy."

He crossed the floor, fell to his knees, pushed her shirt up just past her navel, and stared at her stomach. "Six and a half weeks," he muttered, pulling her towards him and pressing his lips to her bare skin.

"I guess we had more fun than we thought on our honeymoon," she smirked.

He laughed, jumping up and kissing her passionately. A million thoughts were flying through his head, but it was one that flew forth when their lips parted.

"But what about University?"

"I figured that if I'm going to carry the bane of the Black family, I could afford to take a year off to make sure everything goes well."

He laughed, but suddenly panic overtook him. "What are you doing standing? Sit, sit. Winky, get her some water and something to eat..."

"Sirius!" Hermione laughed, pressing a hand over his mouth to quiet him "I am going to be fine. I don't need to stay off my feet until this baby is born. But I'm not going to make it if you're going to freak out about things."

"I'm sorry," he took a deep breath. "It's just, I don't think I've ever been this excited."

"I'm sure you were when Gryffindor was one game away from winning the House Cup or something."

He thought about it for a second. "No. This one wins," he smirked before he started kissing her again.


End file.
